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I noticed this inversely proportional relationship years ago, while studying nuclear physics, of all things. Though it’s been over 15 years since my last calculus class, I can still remember the basics of differentiation. Computing a 15% tip still mucks my brain. Go figure.

A friend of mine, and I, are playing with double-exposing film. She shot a roll of film some time ago, and I’m going to take it and shoot over it. Geek that I am, it provided a great opportunity to overthink things. Should I use aperture or shutter priority? Perhaps I should pull the film? (Main limitation with that was not being able to figure out how to change the ISO setting on my Maxxum, and isn’t pulling more focused on the developer, anyway?) My salvation comes with a series of overcast days. So, camera in hand I head out.

I’m reminded, with all the geekiness above, how much I love photography. And how much a role it played in my youth. Taking classes in junior high and high school, submitting photos to the year-book (though not fully credited, sadly), and my playing around with old (ancient?) cameras at second-hand stores.

I have every intention of recapturing this part of my life, delving much more deeply. My main complaint is how expensive a hobby this is. I guess it’s time to buy lottery ticket, eh?

update: finally got this project done, and uploaded to my Flickr stream. Check this out here.

I love the light of overcast mornings. A greyish-blue quality to things that just calms me. I find these mornings very tranquil. The colors subdued. Today the wind is calm. As I write this, a small breeze picks up. The trees move abruptly. This movement’s drama simply due to the abruptness of the change. And, of course, my expectations. Slowly, light brightens, colors emerge; but not to garish excess, just present. Green grows more visible; lighter green within the maple leaves, darker for the fir trees. And the grass somewhat in-between.

A bit of history, this one. I remember it making the rounds on the airwaves. A Meme from the good ol’ FM radio days. Back when online required a modem (where baud meant something) and often meant dialing into a BBS (I was uber-geeky back then by having access to Prodigy).

The early part of my career was spent in the non-profit sector. First I was involved with state and local advocacy with AARP (this parlayed into regional advocacy on federal issues towards the end of my time there). Then I was the office manager for a small church. An Episcopal congregation with a solidly progressive bent, I was quite at home. Generally, I considered business to be destructive and “the problem”. With that, I delighted in the notion of trying to save the world. Then, through a series of accidents, I moved to the corporate world, working at Starbucks in Corporate Social Responsibility. During this time, I focused mostly on environmental affairs, but worked in a number of side projects. Thus, even in a Fortune 500 company, I was saving the world.

Now, though, I find myself in the belly of the beast, at Microsoft. I am in Operations, and supporting finance within that. MSFT does have a Corporate Citizenship team, and does good philanthropical work. But I am far removed from all that. I miss that work, yet I find my work fulfilling, which (frankly) surprises me. For ages, I thought that social mission and service were the only ways I would feel value. I see that I can add value across a wide variety of endeavors. Also, I’ve learned so very much about the challenges business faces, and how that impacts their citizenship. And that so very many business leaders are trying their very best to be good neighbors. Now, what will I do with that knowledge? Hmm…

An impressive graphic from Fixr. I like the design: clear, clean, quick and focuses on one point like a laser.

Click the image to enlarge

Source: Fixr

Office 2010, originally uploaded by carl.setzer.

A little swag for the launch of Office 2010. Perks of wandering around
on campus.

My parents might need to be brought up on child-neglect charges: I had not heard of Leo Lionni until my son insisted we buy some of his books. Laughably, I assumed that Leo Lionni was a character, much like Junie B. Jones (consider the alliterative). I’ve learned otherwise. The recent purchase, “Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse” has been a delight to read. Exploring the art, I expect Eric Carle’s art was inspired by Lionni’s. As I delight in literature, I wonder why I’ve never encountered his name. Then I wonder if I haven’t. My journey as a father is laden with discovery. Discovering so much that I would expect to have known.

Perhaps my mother read to me from Lionni and Carle every night. I do not remember. I do remember such seminal works as “Harry: The Dirty Dog”, though. Strange thing, memory. I delighted in Dr. Suess, too. I wonder, at times, whether too much has been lost from my childhood memory. The loss of my mother took with it so much memory. Those moments that wouldn’t be possible for a young child to remember, no one else does, either. My father was off serving in the Navy; other relatives thousands of miles absent. So much of my sister and my early childhood had only one witness, who is silent. I’m left rattling cerebral cobwebs, and creating new memories with my son.

Random side note: I came across this video of Harry The Dirty Dog and just had to share. It’s only a trailer, but still

This is, by far, the best rendition of Blue Danube I’ve ever heard. Of course, I don’t like waltzes. I’m afraid, though, Strauss would’ve cried fowl.