With personal cameras being widespread, with the most common type being phone cameras, people can take more pictures now than at any other point in history. Everything is photographed: natural landscapes, buildings, food, animals, disasters, random objects, odd objects...everything. Obviously humans are photographed, too, but many people like to take pictures of themselves, not others. All over the Internet, "selfies" are in abundance
There are a variety of ways that these selfies are achieved, but the three common types of selfies are:
1. Mirror shot
The person aims their camera/phone camera towards a mirror and takes a picture of their reflection. If one didn't know better, it could be assumed that some people have a fascination with bathroom mirrors and what to share that interest or are trying to show others what their camera or phone looks like...without the use of another camera.
2. Arm extended
This involves someone holding a camera/phone with an extended arm and pointing it back towards themselves. If aimed correctly (it's not possible to see the viewfinder), this method will take a picture of the person rather than their reflection but often the arm that they're using to hold the camera gets caught in photograph.
3. Phone front camera
Specific to phones, this is similar to "Arm extended" in that it requires the person holding the device at arm's length; however, the person utilises the front camera of their phone, which provides them with better aim as they can see the phone's screen and thus, can direct the lens accordingly.
My opinion? If people want to take selfies and share them, that's completely their decision; besides, I know some people who are skilled at taking selfies! I'm only not keen on the selfies that involve the person pulling stupid faces or giving obscene gestures: they're tedious and not at all funny nor clever. I rarely take selfies (I use option 3. when I do) and none of the ones I've taken are online. I prefer having someone else take a picture of me, as those photographs of me look better than any I've taken.
What do you think? Do you like taking selfies? All viewpoints on this subject are welcome!
Monday, 28 October 2013
Sunday, 27 October 2013
Brooke Greenberg memorial
Back in January, I wrote a brief piece to draw attention to the condition that afflicted Brooke Greenberg. She had a condition titled "Syndrome X", which stopped her growth and kept her in body of a five-year-old and with the mind of a nine-month-old. I'm sorry to say that she has died:
In my post, I expressed my hope that a cure would one day be found for Greenberg. It's upsetting that this won't come to be. I wish her family the best.
Additionally, I'm surprised by the lack of reporting on her death. It's possible that little has been said because of her family maintaining their privacy but I thought, given the extreme scarcity of her condition, that her death would be given wider coverage.
In my post, I expressed my hope that a cure would one day be found for Greenberg. It's upsetting that this won't come to be. I wish her family the best.
Additionally, I'm surprised by the lack of reporting on her death. It's possible that little has been said because of her family maintaining their privacy but I thought, given the extreme scarcity of her condition, that her death would be given wider coverage.
Brooke Greenberg
January 8th, 1993 - October 24th, 2013
Saturday, 26 October 2013
A bridge
My last post about the park we visited two days ago involves a picture of this bridge:
The bridge crosses a stream located near the bulls. The stream is narrow and looks as though it could easily be jumped over if someone didn't want to use the bridge. The bridge makes a slightly disconcerting clunking sound when you step onto it; because of this, I'm glad the drop from the bridge into the stream is very low!
This picture, plus the four taken in the previous two posts, were all done with my phone. As this was in a shaded area, my phone's camera had some trouble in the lower light.
This picture, plus the four taken in the previous two posts, were all done with my phone. As this was in a shaded area, my phone's camera had some trouble in the lower light.
Friday, 25 October 2013
More bulls
Just outside the park we visited yesterday is this field of bulls:
There were around twelve of them in the field (not all are pictured). All of them glanced at me and my brother but most were more interested in eating, given that they're used to people walking alongside their field each day and two more humans going past isn't particularly remarkable. Still, couple were curious:
These two (plus one off-camera to the left) seemed intent on following our movement. When I crouched down to take a picture from this level they watched to see what I was up to. They were far more focused on me than the previous bulls I encountered. This black bull seemed to be the only one without any horns (and yes, he was a bull, given his lack of udders).
It wouldn't surprise me, however, if the bulls...including the uninterested ones...were up by the fence seeking food from humans. After all, they had a huge field where they could roam yet they bunched up by the fence by the path. On the other hand, they might just enjoy the attention they receive when people walk past; I've met horses who loved it when people's focus was on them and there's no reason to think why bulls would be any different.
It wouldn't surprise me, however, if the bulls...including the uninterested ones...were up by the fence seeking food from humans. After all, they had a huge field where they could roam yet they bunched up by the fence by the path. On the other hand, they might just enjoy the attention they receive when people walk past; I've met horses who loved it when people's focus was on them and there's no reason to think why bulls would be any different.
Thursday, 24 October 2013
The light moss
My family and I went to a local park this afternoon. I took these pictures of a tree within that park; note how the light layer of moss gives its bark a light green tint:
I love the colour and how it's enhanced by the sunlight. The bottom of the tree has thicker moss, as can be seen in the next picture, but the overall green tint remains:
These shots were taken in the mid-afternoon, although from the light and the temperature it felt as though it were still the morning.
Wednesday, 23 October 2013
Weevil loaf
A few days ago, I wrote about the loaf the breadmaker created with expired bread mix, causing the loaf to never rise. While the loaf was fairly dense and difficult to chew, it was nonetheless edible. At least we were able to make a loaf out of that bread mix and it wasn't wasted.
Yesterday, Mum decided to use the freshest packet of bread mix; she was surprised to find it filled with weevils feasting on the contents. Mum ended up disposing of the mix, given that it was unusable; fortunately, none of the other packs were contaminated. Think of the irony! The old and expired pack still gave us a loaf while the newest was infested.
As for the flat loaf, Mum turned it into breadcrumbs. It will be ideal for when we next make burgers or meatloaf.
Yesterday, Mum decided to use the freshest packet of bread mix; she was surprised to find it filled with weevils feasting on the contents. Mum ended up disposing of the mix, given that it was unusable; fortunately, none of the other packs were contaminated. Think of the irony! The old and expired pack still gave us a loaf while the newest was infested.
As for the flat loaf, Mum turned it into breadcrumbs. It will be ideal for when we next make burgers or meatloaf.
Tuesday, 22 October 2013
"Bulletproof" - La Roux
I wasn't intending to do a music post for today but I seem to have run out of ideas at this moment in time. This is "Bulletproof" by La Roux, a British synthpop band:
This song became popular in the United States in the first half of 2010. Knowing that we would be moving in June of that year, we figured that it would serve as an introduction to music that we'd hear in the United Kingdom once we arrived there. Ironically, we've hardly heard "Bulletproof" on the radio since we've been back; I doubt that we've heard it any more than five times on the radio here.
We associate this song with our last three months in the United States.
This song became popular in the United States in the first half of 2010. Knowing that we would be moving in June of that year, we figured that it would serve as an introduction to music that we'd hear in the United Kingdom once we arrived there. Ironically, we've hardly heard "Bulletproof" on the radio since we've been back; I doubt that we've heard it any more than five times on the radio here.
We associate this song with our last three months in the United States.
Monday, 21 October 2013
The importance of backups
You've heard the story before. Someone stores all their pictures and their music on their phone; several months worth of memories and purchases are on the device. None of the data is backed up on another hard drive, yet the person is certain that it's all safe and sound. They won't lose any of it!
Then, the unthinkable happens: their phone is either damaged or stolen and all of that data is lost to them. They bemoan their loss...all those personal pictures and that bought music! Memories lost and money wasted! What on earth could they have done to have prevented this tragedy from occurring?
Well, they could have backed up their data. How? The simplest solution would have been for them to have kept a copy of their files on their computer. It's incredibly easy to transfer files from a phone to a computer: using a USB is the standard way while using a cloud storage app like Dropbox is another method. Given this simplicity, there is no excuse for not backing-up
This doesn't just apply to phones: It's also important to back up your computer. A computer less likely to get damaged or stolen as with a phone, but the hard drives can fail; if that data isn't backed up, you could lose it. Some people have lost years of work for not backing any of it up on another device.
Always back up your files; you won't regret it.
Then, the unthinkable happens: their phone is either damaged or stolen and all of that data is lost to them. They bemoan their loss...all those personal pictures and that bought music! Memories lost and money wasted! What on earth could they have done to have prevented this tragedy from occurring?
Well, they could have backed up their data. How? The simplest solution would have been for them to have kept a copy of their files on their computer. It's incredibly easy to transfer files from a phone to a computer: using a USB is the standard way while using a cloud storage app like Dropbox is another method. Given this simplicity, there is no excuse for not backing-up
This doesn't just apply to phones: It's also important to back up your computer. A computer less likely to get damaged or stolen as with a phone, but the hard drives can fail; if that data isn't backed up, you could lose it. Some people have lost years of work for not backing any of it up on another device.
Always back up your files; you won't regret it.
Sunday, 20 October 2013
Phone pouch
A few weeks ago, I wrote about my phone's bumpers. Today, I'd like to write about my phone's pouch:
Whenever I carry my phone around, I place it in this pouch, with the device still being held inside its tyre bumper. I don't like having the phone bounce around the inside of my pockets, where it could get damaged, especially on its camera; the handset wasn't cheap...I'm happy to invest a little in its safekeeping!
I was inspired to write about this because, yesterday, my brother got caught in a massive and sudden downpour, and he wasn't wearing a waterproof jacket. His clothes were soaked but his pouch, which is a thicker pouch that the one for my phone, protected his phone from the water. Granted, the pouch wouldn't be much good if he jumped in a pool but it was adequate for the burst of rain. He was soaked!
I was inspired to write about this because, yesterday, my brother got caught in a massive and sudden downpour, and he wasn't wearing a waterproof jacket. His clothes were soaked but his pouch, which is a thicker pouch that the one for my phone, protected his phone from the water. Granted, the pouch wouldn't be much good if he jumped in a pool but it was adequate for the burst of rain. He was soaked!
Saturday, 19 October 2013
The never-risen bread
This happened today:
It's a loaf of homemade bread that failed to rise in the breadmaker. Mum used a packet of bread mix that was past its expiry date; the yeast had gone off, causing the bread to remain flat. Despite this, the bread is still edible, albeit hard, although it might be used for breadcrumbs to put in burgers or meatloaves.
This is the second time we've ended up with something made in the breadmaker end up this way. Several years ago when Mum regularly put each ingredient in manually, there was one time when she forgot to add the yeast; the cake (it makes cakes) turned out flat.
Friday, 18 October 2013
Lamp with a hat
Another one of my "hat" posts. This is a lamp with a hat:
My grandfather gave me and my brother this lamp but it stays in my room, essentially making me its de facto owner. I love how the flash has almost made the lamp appear as though it's on! Unless I intend to photograph it on another object, I'll keep the hat on the lamp, as it keeps it off my desk.
Thursday, 17 October 2013
"Welcome to My Life" - Simple Plan
One of the first songs my brother and I heard when we regularly started listening to the radio was this:
It's "Welcome to My Life" by Simple Plan, a Canadian band. It was released in 2004 and comes from their album Still Not Getting Any. Listening to this song reminds me of when I was discovering radio/pop music.
"Welcome to My Life" was their last major hit for several years; I didn't think I would ever hear Simple Plan on the radio again until the emergence of their single "Summer Paradise" last year. The international version of the song features Sean Paul and became their biggest hit here. I haven't heard "Summer Paradise" on the radio for a year now but it was good to hear Simple Plan again during the single's run. Still, "Welcome to My Life" is the more significant song, as far as I'm concerned.
It's "Welcome to My Life" by Simple Plan, a Canadian band. It was released in 2004 and comes from their album Still Not Getting Any. Listening to this song reminds me of when I was discovering radio/pop music.
"Welcome to My Life" was their last major hit for several years; I didn't think I would ever hear Simple Plan on the radio again until the emergence of their single "Summer Paradise" last year. The international version of the song features Sean Paul and became their biggest hit here. I haven't heard "Summer Paradise" on the radio for a year now but it was good to hear Simple Plan again during the single's run. Still, "Welcome to My Life" is the more significant song, as far as I'm concerned.
Wednesday, 16 October 2013
Leaving children at a toy store
I watched another of the Primetime: What Would You Do clip on YouTube, which was where my post about LGBT parenting was inspired by:
While the video is just as an act to test people's reactions, I was shocked to learn that there are parents who have left their children at a toy store, a bookstore, a fast-food restaurant or a mall. Why? For those places to fill the role of a babysitter. Until I watched the above video, I had never heard about this happening.
I've heard of a variety of stupid things that people have done...but this? How can anyone rationalise leaving their kid(s) at a toy store or a mall? It's beyond irresponsible. Young children should never be left unattended: there should always be a parent, guardian or other trusted adult around them at all time while out in public.
Leaving children at the aforementioned places puts strain on the employees and customers, as it forces them to have to deal with a situation they shouldn't have to face, i.e. having to look after someone else's kids. Also, unless you visit a place frequently and know the people there, there's no reason to trust any of them with your kids; I shouldn't have to add that it makes it easier for those who abduct children.
Thoughts on this? I'm both alarmed and disgusted about it.
While the video is just as an act to test people's reactions, I was shocked to learn that there are parents who have left their children at a toy store, a bookstore, a fast-food restaurant or a mall. Why? For those places to fill the role of a babysitter. Until I watched the above video, I had never heard about this happening.
I've heard of a variety of stupid things that people have done...but this? How can anyone rationalise leaving their kid(s) at a toy store or a mall? It's beyond irresponsible. Young children should never be left unattended: there should always be a parent, guardian or other trusted adult around them at all time while out in public.
Leaving children at the aforementioned places puts strain on the employees and customers, as it forces them to have to deal with a situation they shouldn't have to face, i.e. having to look after someone else's kids. Also, unless you visit a place frequently and know the people there, there's no reason to trust any of them with your kids; I shouldn't have to add that it makes it easier for those who abduct children.
Thoughts on this? I'm both alarmed and disgusted about it.
Tuesday, 15 October 2013
Inside the Ancient Egypt kit
In the comments section for my previous post about my Ancient Egypt kit, my friend and fellow blogger Jessica recommended that I post pictures if I decided to explore the kit.
The contents, going counter-clockwise from the top left, are: a short book about Ancient Egypt, a wall-poster map of Ancient Egypt and some of the surrounding regions, a piece of parchment, a pair of tweezers; in the bag are some left over decorations for the necklace; above the bag, the small rubber ink hieroglyph stamps with a large one underneath them and above them is the ink pad. The ink pad, as I mentioned in the previous post, leaked, hence why it's wrapped up in paper.
The kit can be locked. I would guess that this lock is there to secure the latch rather than to protect the contents of the box; after all, it's not as though there are any valuables in there!
Monday, 14 October 2013
Mobile gaming
When I bought a better phone back in September 2012, I was introduced to mobile gaming. This style of gaming quickly appealed to me because most mobile games are designed for around 5-15 minutes of play at a time, providing a short but satisfactory burst of entertainment. They're not too time-consuming.
The first mobile game I played (and still occasionally play) was Glow Hockey; I like this game because it's pong-like and is suitable on a touchscreen device. I have board games such as Reversi/Othello and chess on my phone, puzzles like Lazors and Candy Crush Saga, and a couple of racing apps. I also enjoy running games like Temple Run 2; they're simple yet fun, even if only for a quarter of an hour at a time.
I tend to play the games when I'm alone; I'm either waiting for something or am playing merely because I want to. I do not play any games on my phone when I am in a social situation; I'm not a hypocrite — I don't blog about people using their phones when in the company of other people and then engage in the behaviour that I've criticised!
Are there any mobile games that you enjoy?
The first mobile game I played (and still occasionally play) was Glow Hockey; I like this game because it's pong-like and is suitable on a touchscreen device. I have board games such as Reversi/Othello and chess on my phone, puzzles like Lazors and Candy Crush Saga, and a couple of racing apps. I also enjoy running games like Temple Run 2; they're simple yet fun, even if only for a quarter of an hour at a time.
I tend to play the games when I'm alone; I'm either waiting for something or am playing merely because I want to. I do not play any games on my phone when I am in a social situation; I'm not a hypocrite — I don't blog about people using their phones when in the company of other people and then engage in the behaviour that I've criticised!
Are there any mobile games that you enjoy?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)