So I got an email from a reader who happens to work in media. She mentioned a photo that was on the Associated Press website showing President G. W. Bush shaking hands with Mormon President Thomas Monson when the President was in Utah last week. It looks like Bush is working some mojo on the handshake.

I decided nothing of it, figuring either Bush was being a nutburger or perhaps playing a practical joke. I showed the photo to Heather and that lead me down the internet rat hole of searching and seeing what people were saying, if anything.

The photo:

Photo by Eric Draper.

source:
The White House website.

Which lead me to this post on freerepublic.com. The comments are priceless. Logic abounds.

The local ABC affiliate ran a story that features the handshake. Click the video link in the sidebar for quotes from the remaining 20% in the U.S. who still think the President is doing a great job.

Story of the President’s visit to Utah in the Salt Lake Tribune here. The Mormon-owned paper ran a story as well. It is here.

Forum post showing non-Mormon handshakes between Bush and other people where he’s not all jiggy up in the forearm area.

I normally wouldn’t devote such a great deal of time on a post like this, but I’m kind of wondering if maybe Bush wasn’t taking the mick? It kind of looks like Monson is giving it back to him, so maybe it’s more like Bush is all “How you like me NOW, huh?” and then Monson is all “Really? Back atcha, cap’n evangelical.”

Religious leaders and heads of state can be so cute sometimes. o

I have finally heeded the advice of many of you and started using Etsy. My shop address is http://blurb.etsy.com. I’ve added a couple of shots to the store as well as kept the other two I had for sale. I’ll be adding several others over the next few weeks, but wanted to share my little minimal shop. Thanks to all of you who have purchased prints already! You are making my year. I mean it.

Note: If you see an image on this site or in my flickr stream you want to buy, let me know by sending a message to photos [at] blurbomat [dot] com.

I’ve avoided talking about process and printers because I’d rather keep the conversation around photos you like. I’ve wanted to do a few screencasts of how I work and some pointers, but I’m not sure how many of you would be interested in a Lightroom or Aperture screencast. Let me know in the comments if this is something of interest and I’ll do it.

If you really want to print your own photos, I’ll repeat my advice about choosing a camera: go to a really good store and bring in some files to print. Try to test the printers using the app(s) you’ll most likely be using and demo a range of printers and papers. The shop is going to make a good portion of revenue off of paper and ink, so you might as well do a thorough test drive.

Printers I looked at:

Canon Pixma Pro9000
Canon Pixma Pro9500

I looked at the Canon line first because I had such a bad experience fighting my Epson Stylus Pro 2200 back at the day job. These are nice printers.

I asked around and spoke to a lot of people and they really liked their higher end Epsons. I’d look at the following:
Epson R2400, (now replaced with the R2880)
Epson Stylus Pro 4880
Epson Stylus Pro 3800

I’m sure you’ll find a great printer in there somewhere. It’s too subjective to recommend one over the other. There are far too many considerations and I’m not getting paid enough to endorse a printer. Hear that printer makers? I thought so. o

I’m thinking of this work, in particular.

The use of natural materials and corrugated panels always reminds me of the Venice Beach House as well as his Gehry House. o

I was sent these by McQueen. You may remember him as the self-censored party on the Road Trip back in 2005 and the death hike in 2006.

From the brilliant Black Cab Sessions:
My Morning Jacket

From GQ:
Foolish, Foolish Throat: A Q&A with Steve Perry

Journey filled my high school days and later as an upperclassman, my high school nights. Making out to Journey is one of my top memories from high school. Also: slow dancing to “Open Arms” trying to hide my burgeoning, uh, excitement.

This is a great interview and I’m coming out of the closet to say that Neal Schon is one of the great underrated pop guitarists of our age. Also: Greatest pop hair.

I still think that Steve Perry and Dennis De Young (of Styx) need to do an all acoustic set mashing up hits from their respective oeuvres and call the tour “Mr. Roboto’s Open Arms: After the Fall of the Divas”. o

On Granville Island there are these giant boat propellers set around like art. I couldn’t decide if they were once functional or just made by artisans to look like they were once functional. o

These are all over Granville Island in Vancouver. Really cool decorative lights that also serve as streetlights. Plus, one more for the light meme that I’ve been fascinated with for the past year or so.

Heather posted a shot of these lights (which you’ve likely seen, but still). o

Roastin’ time.

o

Not sure if this is a blackbird, a raven, a crow or an alien changeling from the counter-Earth that we don’t know about because its orbit is exactly opposite of ours. No matter. Birds are weird. But they can fly. Got me on the technicality AGAIN, birds. o

Right before Heather and Maggie’s panel. This is the green period, people. Compare and contrast to this one, taken last summer. o