Sunday Stills: Vanishing points

Sunday Stills-Vanishing Points-October 9th, 2011
Posted in Sunday Stills, Sunday Stills Challenge of the Week, the next challenge on October 2, 2011 by Linda

I’ve been thinking of this challenge for a while…..too bad I waited until Saturday to get some pictures for an example. We’ve had horrendous hot winds most of the week and then yesterday it clouded over (although the wind is still howling) and it’s almost too dull for any sort of pictures.
Vanishing points are just another way of taking pictures with perspective in mind. It’s all a part of composition…..they can create balance or lead your eye to something in the distance. You can maximize the effect if you use a wider angle to get your point across and using the Landscape Mode on a point and shoot will give a sharper focus. A road with lots of autumn color or a creek or river that leads off into the distance would be great subjects for this challenge…… I had neither close by Really watch what angle you take the pictures from….it makes a world of difference as you can see by my bad examples.
A barb wire fence across the road from our buildings, my focus should be on the WHOLE fence not just the first few posts;

http://sundaystills.wordpress.com/

Hi Ed,

Not too sure about this. Ann

FSO: Things you are thankful for

Thanks giving Day is not a national celebration here in New Zealand. In church, we have a service where we bring our produce and giving thanks. There are lots of things I am thankful for.


Parents and school teach their children to help the less fortunate victims of the Christchurch earthquake and organic planting.


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Farmers bring their animals to city kids,

foreign students get to stay in a marea and learn about zero waste.


I am thankful for living on an isthmus where we are very near the sea, children get to have water wise lessons.




http://mytownshootout.blogspot.com/

http://mytownmrlinky.blogspot.com/

Save the world: Scrap the debit card transaction charges.

http://reducefootprints.blogspot.com/

For 2 weeks, I was teaching about banking. My adult ESOL students couldn't understand why anyone would use a debit card, when they could use a ATM card. It was timely when on Tuesday, Bank of America announced the $5 charge. I see it as the big bank verses the little people. If you have the money, you can have a credit card, and you can spend and pay later. But with you can't qualify for a credit card, you have to pay $5 to spend your own money.

My students came up with different scenarios of needing a debit card if you pay online purchases and you don't have a credit card.

I quote a chapter I copied from a lesson, " What good is a bank when you are spending your own money and get charged for it."

I subscribe to Change Org, and I got this email.

Dear ann,

Whoa. ABC News heard that 135,000 Change.org members signed Molly Katchpole's petition against Bank of America's new $5 monthly fee to use a debit card. So the network tracked down CEO Brian Moynihan and forced him to respond to the petition. (Thanks, ABC News!)

The CEO was flustered and couldn't give a coherent explanation -- an embarrassing moment on national TV for the big bank (and the second night in a row that Molly's petition was a featured story on the newscast).

Bank of America is feeling the pressure from Change.org members. As more people speak out, Bank of America will be forced to cancel its new fee -- and other banks will be too scared to create their own new fees.

Add your name to Molly's petition demanding Bank of America cancel its new $5 debit card fee.

While you're signing, check out the amazing video from ABC News. It's inspiring to see one person's petition can make a bank CEO squirm on TV! Watch it here:

http://www.change.org/petitions/tell-bank-of-america-no-5-debit-card-fees

Thanks for being a change-maker,

- Michael and the Change.org team

Our world Tuesday/outdoor Wed: Windmill

http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com




http://ourworldtuesdaymeme.blogspot.com/
This windmill in Christchurch doesn't generate any power. It is a landmark in Riccarton. My friend Jenny and her family took me to the area to have lunch and dinner.

Sorry for blurry photo. I was in a moving car,

Save the world: Watch the pesticides

http://reducefootprints.blogspot.com/

Which foods have the most pesticide residues? Celery, a range of fruit, dairy products and bread are all ranked in the top dozen of foods available in New Zealand which are likely to contain more pesticide residues (

Celery is also likely to contain a fungicide chlorothalonil, which is a probable human carcinogen, and in laboratory studies has caused DNA damage and embryo loss. Chlorothalonil has been included in a list which the EPA in the US intends to study as a potential endocrine disruptor. This pesticide has also been found in groundwater, sea water and air and is toxic to many species, including earthworms. Another fungicide used on celery, mancozeb, has a breakdown product, ethylene thiourea, which has been found to cause cancer, endocrine disruption, goitre and birth defects. Exposure to heat increases the amount of metabolite, so think of that before you add non-organic celery to your soup!


Usually, washing, peeling and cooking reduces the amount of pesticide residues, however some persist. If you think organic food is too expensive, remember that non-organic food does not include the cost of biodiversity loss and other environmental degradation. With organic food you pay the real cost for real food, and you give the grower a fairer return. By having organic food you support a system which better protects our children and the environment.

By Alison White, Safe Food Campaign, http://www.safefood.org.nz/additivesfr.htm

I just bought this bunch of crunchy celery. Some friends tell me that give it a soak in salt water

Sunday Stills: Water Droplets

Sunday Stills-Water Droplets
Posted in Uncategorized on September 25, 2011 by Linda

This weeks challenge is for you to take photos of water droplets. Catch one in mid air or on a surface or maybe a splash of them while someone skips a rock across the water. If you’re using a point and shoot put it in the action mode to freeze a splash

http://sundaystills.wordpress.com/

Ed,

It is raining outside and I snapped what I could.

Sorry for being MIA last week, I moved house. Pt Chev is by the sea, and was in the tornado path. I can feel the strong wind.

Photohunt: Covered

October 1: Covered
http://tnchicks.wordpress.com/

Much of the rocks at Pt Chevalier beach are covered with dead oyster shells. A friend once told us that when you harvest the oysters off the rocks, make sure you chisel off the bottom shell. Only then will new oysters be able to cling and grow on the rocks.

The beach too is covered with shells.