Author: robertjames1971

I'm wicked tall.

Changes to Society

Daily writing prompt
What would you change about modern society?
View all responses

Would I change anything about modern society? Yes. If I could I would probably change just about everything. There is so much wrong with our world right now. I don’t have any solutions, but I know what isn’t working when I see it.

I think if it were up to me I’d rearrange society to be more like Star Trek. Money would no longer be the driving force. Instead, we would work to better ourselves as a species. Science would be trusted over superstition. Religion would be gone. Journalism would have integrity. Fact would be accepted as such and not ignored when it didn’t suit your bias.

You know… little things like those.

Plum Island

I went back to Plum Island today to take a film shot or two of the lighthouse. I took some digital pics as well because why not? I walked over to the river this time because the lighthouse itself is boring and uninteresting. I saw some chartered fishing boats loading up. It was cool. The Merrimack River is HUGE here, right near the point where it empties into the ocean.

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I used Dad’s camera and finished off the roll that I originally loaded up around Christmas. I might send it off to a lab today. I think I have one other roll that’s ready to go as well. Maybe a trip to the post office is time well spent on my last day off this month.

There you have it though, the highlights from this morning’s photo excursion. When will I do another? Not tomorrow, as it is a work from the office day. After that? Who knows.

Sunrise Pics

Success! The cloud cover was non-existent and the weather came through for me! This is Salisbury Beach in Salisbury, Massachusetts. Sunrise was at 5:27am. The first few were before the sun came up. The waves were pretty high for this spot. The tide was pretty high too. I was hoping to be able to go over to the other side of the pier, but I didn’t bother.

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To quote Jimi Hendrix, the first rays of the new rising sun
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There were film shots too but it could be decades before I get them developed. I used my ebay Nikon with Dad’s zoom lens. That lens really is a piece of shit, but I kinda want to have one full roll shot with it. We’ll see if anything comes out recognizable as sunrise at the ocean pics. I definitely got to get myself a new lens for that camera.

Right then, I have finally done a photo-trip this summer! There were two more quick stops, but you’ll see those in the next post. You might say I have the bug again. There will be more morning photo-jaunts before the weather goes bad. I promise. Sunlight be damned, I am doing more of this!

4:15AM

Good morning sunshine.

It’s quarter past four in the morning. I am up and at ’em. My cameras are packed in a backpack (I don’t have an actual camera bag big enough to fit three camera), the cats’ food bowl has been topped off, I have a full water bottle and a protein bar in a lunch bag, I am finishing off my morning vitamins as I type this, I’ve checked the weather forecast for both Hampton Beach and Salisbury Beach and it’s the same partly sunny for both.

I guess the only thing left to do is decide which beach to drive to and hope the horizon is clear there. Fingers crossed. Also, where do I want to stop for more pictures on the way home? I’m thinking of the Plumb Island lighthouse again. It’s not very impressive as a lighthouse or as a lighthouse setting, but it is a lighthouse and there are some interesting places to stop on the way there and back.

Okay then… I am making the call. We’re going to Salisbury Beach. Time to load up the car and head out. Wish me sunrise luck!

Ocean Visit Tomorrow

The sunrise at Salisbury Beach will be at 5:27 AM tomorrow. Same with Hampton Beach. The forecast is calling for partly cloudy conditions at both locations. Given the horrid luck I have had with sunrise conditions on days when I don’t have to go to work, I think this is good enough to take a shot.

The battery on my Z5 is charged. There is film in both the K1000 and the FG-20 and I have all three cameras and a couple of extra rolls of film in a backpack all ready to go. My broken tripod is packed up too. Google maps says the drive to Hampton Beach takes 34 minutes without traffic. That means, if I want to be on the beach before the sun comes up with enough time to get everything ready, I need to be on the road by 4:45, which means I need to be out of bed by 4:15 or so.

Holy shit that’s early. I am planning on trying this, but there is a better than even chance that I will sleep right through it and then be mad at myself for the rest of the summer.

We’ll see how it goes.

2023 50/90 Challenge Days 20 and 21/90

I’m a day late for the day 20 post, and probably a few hours early for the day 21 post. Not that any of this crap matters though, right?

Yesterday I put rhythm guitars onto two songs and lead guitars onto two other songs. I also mixed two songs, bringing the total number of complete songs up to five.

Today I put rhythm guitars onto two songs and lead guitars onto two other songs. I still might try to mix a song or two tonight but I think I will probably spend the rest of the evening on season two of the original Doctor Who. I just started the serial The Romans, which is episodes 12-15.

As it stands right now, I am still holding on 20 songs in progress. I have five songs done, six songs ready to mix, two songs ready for vocals, and seven songs ready for lyrics and melodies. I currently have zero songs needing guitar tracks, which means my goal for tomorrow is to pick off a couple of vocals and maybe start a new song idea or two. Or three. I have seven days left in July. It would really be something to have half of the songs underway in the first month.

21 days down. 69 days to go.