12 of 12 for July 2010

12 of 12 time is here and as always I am very excited but there is a big ol' spoon of trepidation I must take that tempers my excitement. What I mean is I'm always worried there won't find the right things to photograph. Of course I was extra worried this month that my pictures were going to struggle because I was going to have to use the camera on my IPhone as 12 of 12 fell on Monday, a work day. Well that was sorted easy enough, seeing that I quit my new job last Friday. It's long story and I won't take away from 12 of 12 boring you with the details suffice it to say I got to use my good camera and what follows is what you get for this month, I hope you enjoy and as always I have to thank this MAN, for if not for him I would not be showing these photos. I thank him for creating this project which gives me the impetus to take at least 12 pictures once a month and as such keeps my dreams of taking good pictures one day alive. All I can do now and in the future is to keep taking pictures and what I get is what you'll see. The rest will just have to fall into place. At least that's what I'm hoping happens. So, here's this months 12 of 12 and they were mainly taken around the area of Manly near were we now live. I tried very hard to make this months pictures interesting. We'll have to see what you think so here we go...

Looking down part of the Manly boardwalk

Just one of the interesting fun fact boards they have around the boardwalk/beach at Manly.

A view over to downtown Sydney from North Head

Just some symmetrical trees at a park called Little Manly

Just a very bright fisherman. Wonder if he thinks the red will attract the fish?

An interesting pattern and your guess what it is picture of the month..

Now, I know that it is an ongoing battle to get people to clean up after there dogs but I've never seen a sign where they had to literally show people what they needed to do. Look how real it is, I mean really look

I just love really seeing the intricate nature of flowers. Actually these flowers are quite small and if I hadn't gotten close I would have never see the beauty of this little flower.

You know, back in the 20' and 30's and many years before that we as people used to put a lot of craftsmanship into our work. Now a day a piece of glass and a piece of steel and you've got a house/building. Not back then, back then things were given details and beauty in there own right. These are sitting on top each of the columns at an old bathing pavilion near Manly beach...

This months self portrait time 2 courtesy of the glass windows...

Out to the harbour through the arches, trying to be artistic???

...and last but not least a sign placed on the footpaths all around the pavilion as there is a penguin colony around this part of the beach. They re usually only here from dusk until dawn but none the less they are around and you never know when one of the little buggers may have overslept and it and has to suddenly run across the footpath to get to the water. It could happen... Anyway, that's all I've got for this month so I hope you enjoyed. See you next month...

I'm turning Japanese

Remember that old song from the eighties by The Vapors? Well, seeing that that song was all about masturbation, then this is not what this post is about. None the less I just thought it was a catchy title. I also get the chance to point out a little tidbit of not so widely know information/trivia. of maybe you do know about in which case I had no intents of insulting you knowledge of 1980's trivia or trivia in general. And if you didn't know about it, all I can say is think really hard, I mean REALLY HARD, especially you boys and men and I think you'll get the connection. (Sorry ladies not so much)

So, as I said this is not about the song much less masturbation. Instead it is about the comment section of the blog. Now, how you say does the comment section have anything to do with masturbation. Well it doesn't, it's the Japanese part that does. Oh and by the way it is not my intention to be racial in anyway I'm just point out something that is a fact. Well it's a fact when it comes to my comment section. I turned on comment approval due to the fact I was starting to get a large number of robot/spider comments/spam. The interesting thing is almost all of them are in Japanese. Now I have no idea what type of Japanese consortium is behind all of this spam. But I think it's a huge waste of time for them to post on sites were I'm assuming almost 100% of the people that leave comments on my site speak English. So, is it just me that doesn't get it. Why try advertising some spam web site in a different language, which more than likely no ones going click on the link anyway. I'm sure they have left the links to try to sell just about anything imaginable but I reckon most of it is porn. When you think about it does come back around to the original idea of the song so I suppose if you do click through to one of the links maybe just maybe you too will turn just a little Japanese if for anything at least five minutes or so. Anyway, I know lots of people hate comment approval but I gots to do what I gots to do. Otherwise I'm going to get really cranky with the spambots. So bear with me and don't forget Monday is 12 of 12 Stop by and see what I come up with this month. Take care and try enjoying life just a little bit more...

Hello world...

I bet you thought I fell off the edge of the world, and you know I think I almost did but then again here I am, so I guess I didn't. Anyway, as you all know, or as many of you do and for those of you who you do now know I decided a few months back that this blog is going to be pretty much dedicated now to the 12 of 12 project. You know, the one started/created by this man, where I/you take 12 photos (I actually take like 100) and then I pick the best ones to share with you. Well that's all fine and well but it only happens on the 12th day of every month and only 12 photos. I'm not sure one post a month makes a very interesting blog. Does it make it a blog at all or is it now a Photoblog or something else entirely? Needless to say, that is what will be happening for a while so if you're up for it great and if you're not, then I totally understand, I'm a little hurt but I understand.

So, just a heads up that this months photos will be very different in so much that I have to work that day so I can't just meander around town taking pictures with my good camera in tow. Besides, I only have an hour for lunch and believe me there's not much to see from my morning/evening bus ride, to and from work, seeing as it's dark out both ways (remember it's winter here). I also don't think my boss will let me have a field trip day because taking pictures sure doesn't fall into the realm of what I do for work. don't think my new boss wold like that. At the same time I might still as I'm not that impressed with my new boss. I'll get to that in a bit. So because I have to work and can't lug my good camera around with me at work (unless I find a way to do it easily) what I've decided to do is experiment and this month I'm going take all of the pictures using the camera on my new iPhone. I'll get to see how good the new zoom feature works that came with the new IOS 4 software they developed for the new iPhone 4.

As a side note, I didn't get the new iPhone 4 firstly because they are not being sold in Australia until I think the end of the end of this month and secondly I just bought my new/old iPhone last month about 3 days before they announced the new phone was coming. And since I just started a new phone contract and unless I want to turn around and pay this phone outright to the tune of $850.00 Australian $700.00 US. then I'll stick with what I've got. Oh well what do I care as long as I get the benefits from the new software upgrades, which I do since I upgrade my software the other night. The rest of the little things with the new iPhone like the new design and screen resolution etc. don't do much for me as I don't watch a lot of videos and stuff like that. I mean I easily go through my monthly data allotment of 500MB easily just going through with emails, some of my apps that have push notifications and some of the Internet browsing I do when I checking the news etc. at the end of the day if you're not careful downloads become very expensive. Besides, no matter how clear the screen is, with these poor old tired eyes I need at least 17"inches. And get your filthy, dirty, little minds out of the gutter (and I know several of you went there) you know very well I was talking about screen size.

So at the end of the day, I know that the pictures that i take this month won't be anywhere close to the kind of stuff that I've shared with you in the past. Of course, I'm making a big assumption that what I have offered in the past were good/decent photos. I like to think I've done some good work in the past and some of you have even said you like some of my photos. It' gives me hope. anyway that ways a very long winded way of telling you that it will be an interesting experiment and we shall see what comes of the day at the end of the day.

Let's see what else? Ah yes, the new job how could I forget the new job. Maybe it was so easy to forget because I'm trying so hard to do just that. I really hate saying this but I've never hated a job so much in my entire career. It was totally misrepresented and at the end of the day so as not to bore you it's plain and simple a s#%t job! I'm not trying to be elitist but this job is so far beneath my intelligence and overall skill level, and yet I'm still there. Why you say and I say because 1) I have not worked in so long so the last thing I want to do is add and new entry in to my resume that says after being out of work for so long I recent took this job and then quit 3 months later. 2) the pay cheque is nice but to be honest I could not survive on this salary. I don't make enough money to pay the rental for maybe a studio apartment here in Sydney (albeit prices here are outrageous)I'd have to live a good two hour train ride out of town to get something meager and affordable and it would be a dump. And then there would be food, utilities, etc. If I wasn't in a relationship and have such a loving husband I literally would not be able to survive living in Sydney or probably for that matter in any city in the world given even the exchange rate. i would be homeless and if were homeless I would have anyplace to keep my work clothes or take a bath to go to work and you see how that cycle would just get worse. Anyway enough regardless. I am starting to look again this weekend. Hopefully if i find something to get an interview I'll be able to explain well enough why I'm leaving this new job so quickly without putting the company down as that looks bad to a new employer. (See I was listening at those how to find a new job/ and interview well classes)

So that's it from me for now. I'll be back on the 12th with new photos and until then take care stay safe and live large (if you can...) Enjoy....