I have been busy lately and not posting as much as I would like. I did want to throw out a set of NASA images I was linked to recently. Incredible is all I can say.

I wrapped up my taxes over the weekend and was surprised to be getting nearly $5K back, although the portion from California may never come if the budget stalemate does not get resolved. I'm definitely not expecting it before I leave the country.

And a few Photoshops I've saved from recent contests ranging from:

Sentimental

by Chowderhead

Creeptastic

by ArcLight

Funny

by Snackwagon

Stylish

by TelefunkenU47

And two variations on a theme
that amused me.
Left by Camelclub
Right by Enemyboat

Just got home from up north. I went with my mom for the weekend to check over a piece of property before she put in an offer. Well it seems to be just what she is looking for and now it is ours. Ten acres of pine forest, plenty of space for a garden and orchard with good sun exposure. The house is a little over 2000 square feet with a good layout and lots of usable space. It is in the direct center of the property for maximum privacy. It is nearly finished being remodeled, so that makes it all the more appealing to my mom. The water comes from a strong mountain spring, all gravity feed with excellent pressure, doesn't need filtration. We will add solar once she moves in. There is a second 10 acre parcel adjacent to this one, that actually I might put an offer on. It is raw land, but has even better views. My mom seems overjoyed at the prospect of moving up there in a couple months and getting away from Angwin. Makes me sad in a way, but since I'll be gone for the next couple years anyway, I want to make sure she is happy and where she wants to be.


''The Inheritance'' is a film about power, about the price you pay for it and the responsibility that comes with it,'' explains Per Fly. ''It is about the choices we make that impact our lives, about will vs. passion and duty vs. freedom, about deciding between what you want to do and what you have to do. As part of my research for this film, I talked to several men who knew first hand what it was like to fire over two thousand employees in a single day. One of them had no scruples, and he'd go ahead and do it again tomorrow, because like he said: 'If I hadn't fired them, the whole company would have collapsed'. While another man I spoke with never got over it and subsequently suffered an emotional breakdown.

While not nearly on the scale portrayed in this Danish film, I felt for the main character because of the pressures I've felt since my dad died to preserve the estate and all he had worked so hard for. Even though my brother, my mother, and I agree on most of the financial choices we have had to make, it is still nerve wracking and the internal dialogue over what I want to do versus what I know my father would have wanted done and what I have to do continues to be very stressful. With the economy as it is and several million dollars at stake, I do not feel adequate to be making the decisions I know I have to. And I feel in many ways it is a losing battle, but I go on for the sake of duty. Maybe that is why I thought this was such a fantastic film.