Welcome

Following the third year of a holiday letter comprised
of my (increasingly complex) life via a (increasingly complex) year-in-photographs, I
wondered what it would be like to join the great experiment of 365 days of photographs.
I'm not a photographer,
I'm a writer. I'm a visual thinker, and if ever there was proof that a photo is worth a
thousand words, it would be the story a photo tells me, or in this case, about me.
Follow me on this adventure, where I
learn about photography, my ability to record my life, my dedication to something (I've
never been known for doing anything everyday) in my posts. I've also discovered I'm
learning about time, the history of it, and the odd practice of recording it, measuring it,
turning it into something tangible, and I'll record these explorations in the sidebar.
As always, feel free
to say anything. My experiment is not a spectator sport.

August 25, 2009

August 23, 2009

August 22, 2009

August 22 2009 Blue Money


This post was to be based on flickr group Money From Around the World

August 21, 2009

August 21 2009 Golden Spike



This post was to be based on the blog National Parks Traveller

August 20, 2009

August 20 2009 Salt Lake City


This post was to be based on the blog WebUrbanist

August 19, 2009

August 19 2009 Why Would You Knit That?: This ain't Grandma's afghan

For the Fishes


A not-yet-stuffed fish and, what, fish food?

For Original Blog Why Would You Knit That?
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Unfortunately, this blog hasn't posted in going on a year. Boo hoo. But I loved the oddities it has posted, especially the dissected lab animals. Yay! weird!

Also, I know the host site usually links to a pattern but there is none. I made it all up as I went. Oh well.

I nearly finished the fish tonight (too lazy to link you to the first fish post) and my son went with me and garbled some swatches together with a yarn needle and some yarn. He's very proud of them. (He's four, remember.) I'm proud of them, too. Fish needs eyes and stuffing and all the ends woven in. Almost done!

Setting up the photo was kind of fun, with our blue bench.

Photo: Indoor setting with flash.

August 18, 2009

August 18 2009 Unfortunate Names: Revel in the Immaturity

If this is what they advertise out front

I wonder what goes on in the back room

For Original Blog Unfortunate Names
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I drove by this sign twice more since I took the photo, and hours later I still don't have anything funny to say. The original blog says something funny in 2 parts, a title and a text line. Got any ideas? This one was my husband's.

Photo: auto, zoom, taken as driving past.

August 17, 2009

August 17, 2009 The Impulsive Buy: Putting the "ew" in product reviews

Review: Dark Chocolate Dreams Peanut Butter


Having been in love with chocolate and peanut butter combinations since puberty-- particularly a treat wrapped in a noisy orange wrapper with classy little individual cup-cake like papers inside, a treat that I, with a wardrobe of few prominent product-names, own a glaring t-shirt of enviable and mouthwatering recognition--having been a fan of the combo, I thought the chocolate-enriched jar of peanut butter might become a quick favorite of mine.

Instead the dry, pasty texture and tongue-sticking flavor refused to remind me of peanut butter, and I slathered it instead on chocolate chip cookies, and then chocolate cookies, and then just ate it off the spoon like a chocolate lollypop.

I would never taint it with jelly, especially the jalapeno peach I have in the fridge. (Or would I? hm...) It just doesn't go where normal peanut butter goes: on a sandwich.

Dark Chocolate Dreams? It's more like a Chocolate Hallucination. This is a jar of goodness for those cravings when they sneak up on me that first and second night of higher body temperature, or to sob into while watching one week a month of sleazy soap operas or after a hot-headed response at the husband's ornery antics. I don't even know it's peanut butter, but I don't feel quite so guilty eating it, because in the "calories race" with peanut butter (19 calories/g) and that orange-wrappered candy (5.2 calories/g) the Dreams come in at 5.3 calories/g. It's not made with hydrogenated oils like mass-produced peanut butter, or corn syrup sweeteners, instead, it has palm oil and cane juice. It has extra room at the top--"for easier stirring" it asserts--because separation is natural.

Item: Peanut Butter & Co Dark Chocolate Dreams Peanut Butter
Price: $4.75
Size: 16oz
Purchased at: City Market
Rating: 8 out of 10
Pros: Tastes like Chocolate. Chocolate Hallucination. Healthy. Convenient stirring space. Sleazy soap operas. Sobbing. Orange-wrapped chocolate-peanut butter candy. My orange-wrapped chocolate-peanut butter candy shirt.
Cons: Wouldn't go on a sandwich. Mass-produced peanut butter. Messy stirring after natural separation. Husband's antics. Real Hallucinations. Puberty. Subsequent bouts of higher body temperature. Counting calories.

For Original Blog The Impulsive Buy
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Babysitting the house in the desert, needing a treat/present/tool to make the kids quieter, I grabbed this and some spoons and sent them away. Then I had one myself. Mmmm.

I love this blog. It's all rude and sardonic. It makes me laugh. It also grosses me out on occasion. Copying it required a significant amount of actual writing. I like actual writing.

August 16, 2009

August 16 2009 Flickr: Colorado!


A uniquely Colorado dinner: Olathe Sweet Corn grilled in the husk and Colorado-grown tomato and pepper.

Flash, indoor setting, about 24x zoom from across the room to combat the flash glare.

For Original Blog Colorado!
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This should be my last Flickr group contribution, unless I have another incredibly uneventful day and need to take my very last backup-easy-Flickr group photo.

It was not necessarily a slow day, just an unphotogenic day. Car show, van ride of interesting value, canceled trip to the Utah Desert, grilled food, organized teaching resource and book shelves. I did laundry and watered my lawn. I put Hersey's chocolate syrup in my coffee this evening. That's about it.

August 15, 2009

August 15 2009 Sleeveface: one or more persons obscuring or augmenting any part of their body or bodies with record sleeve(s) causing an illusion

The Bob Dylan Experience

Credit: AH

For Original Blog Sleeveface
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A) Yes, that is me.
B) Yes, I own a "Brown Mickey Mouse" jacket.
C) That guitar strap is my daughters and DOES NOT FIT. I pinned it on the jacket.
D) Yes, those are Oreos.

E) Yes, I did this photo all by myself. It took 13 shots for composition before I put on the jacket, and 10 after.
F) Yes, this is the last shot. Interestingly, I had settled on the previous shot and turned off my camera, resetting all my adjustments, before I took this one final shot.


G) Yes, I own vinyl. LOTS. I spent about an hour looking through a part of my collection choosing potentials for this photo.
H) Yes, I have the technological capability to play the vinyl I own. And I do play it. More than I play CDs.



I) Thank you, cousin, for the suggestion on this blog! If you are not my cousin, you should listen to her radio shows. Clicky Wolf Radio.

and, oh yes:
J)Photo: Auto, 10s timer, 4x zoom, camera set up for a vertical picture (this was indeed a feat. It fell once.)

August 14, 2009

August 14 2009 Thrift Shop Horrors

Mismatched Mardi Gras

I went to Goodwill today to find a few things for my son's room's organizational makeover. The kids were over-willing to find ugly things for me to photograph today. I found something most terrible, though.


Festive Mask mounted to Country-Heart-Bordered Mirror.

Show your goods for beads by unbuttoning your gingham dress, I guess.

Not to be overlooked, there are real dried noodles in that vessel directly behind the mask. Who would donate their noodles? And who would buy donated noodles?

For Original Blog ThriftHorror
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Many people from the community post how awkward it is taking pictures in a thrift shop--how self-conscious they are about breaking out a camera.

I have no qualms. I didn't even mind when my kids came running saying: Look Mom, this is ugly!

Photo: Auto+Flash

August 13, 2009

August 13 2009 Flickr: The Protests, Political Art, Democracy, Social Change Pool

An International Call For Action......

Federal Government:"Our environment is literally choking on plastic bags." Jim Moran (D-VA 8).

Newsletter on government's involvement + political discussion on role of government + A pair of scissors in the hands of a crafter/writer= Ransom Poem of the Day, on a knit plastic grocery sack reusable grocery bag.

For Original Blog Protests, Political Art, Democracy, Social Change
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Photo: Portrait+Macro+Flash

I was hoping to get a shot of a Colorado State Senator taking questions at the Ice Cream Social at the Palisade Peach Festival for today's political photo. Since I didn't I was going to take one of the "easy" blogs, until events as described above transpired.

August 12, 2009

August 12 2009 My Recyled Bags.com | Come Learn and Share Information about Recycling, Crocheting & Green Crafting

Knitted Coin Purse

I've enjoyed a lot of use and attention from my recycled grocery sack bag that I knit a couple of years ago, and I've wanted to make a bag from magnetic tape for a while. I've had these movies stashed for ages and couldn't wait to turn them into a carrying vessel. I discovered aluminum needles are better than bamboo for knitting the vinyl magnetic strip. I also learned there's a ton of tape in one two-hour-movie, and also turns out this is as big as I can make a bag in two hours.


It'll be lined with a raw black silk and have either a clasp or a zipper, whatever I can reclaim from a rejected or broken bag at the thrift store. It will also live inside a full sized purse, lined and with matching hardware.

How to Remove the Tape from the Case

Rewind the tape.
Using a small screwdriver, remove the four screws from the back of the VHS tape.
Separate the parts of the casing.
Cut the tape from the empty reel.

Free Change Purse Pattern

Cast on 33 stitches on size 11 aluminum needles.
Knit in stockinette for about 9 inches.
On last row, knit 16 stitches, knit two together.
Fold fabric and cast off with a three-needle bind-off (click for video).
Crochet or blanket stitch up the third edge to finish the bag.


For Original Blog My Recycled Bags
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Fun at knit night. This blog is also fun because I get to talk about me and my stuff instead of someone else's stuff. Nice. I guess I'm self-centered like that.

Photo: Auto + Flash + fluorescent light + iridescent light (that's a lot of light!)

August 11, 2009

August 11 2009 Flickr: The Write me Pool

All His Fault


The guy who built the engine signed it.
Now we know exactly who to blame if anything goes wrong.
Of course, we also know who to thank when it lasts fifty years running perfectly.
An engine, is, of course, a piece of art.
Auto+Flash+Zoom

For Original Blog Write me
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It was a long day, leaving Utah before breakfast and stopping at the house with just enough time to eat and pack up the driveshafts, and driving to Eckert, and installing/fixing/drilling-bending-cutting-heating metal so everything fits. I took my normal "van upgrade" photos and was fascinated by the blue "Brad" on the red engine. It spawned conversation about how many sets of hands built our machine (likely, only one: Brad's). Then we went to an aunt's for dinner and got home late, and I browsed through the pictures and here is a "Write me" just waiting for me. Yay fortuity!

August 10, 2009

August 10 2009 Awkward Family Photos: Spreading the Awkwardness

Four Headless Couch Potatoes


Portrait of the family as composed by the shorter photographers.

submitted by Auto+Flash+10seconddelay+short stool

For Original Blog Awkward Family Photos
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This was a relatively difficult blog to copycat because all the posts there carry their anonymity through lack of context, and here on my blog I need my anonymity to be a bit broader. I don't even have pictures of my kids on my social networking sites, so I definitely not going to put their photos on this more public venue. I've spent three whole days trying to figure out how to take our pictures without our heads legitamately and appropraitely awkwardly, like, what sign can we stand behind, or what tree will conceal us? The experience has been entertaining, and I may decide to make a habit of taking awkward headless photos in the future as part of my family photo repetoire.

My humor sucks compared to the original blog writer's.

As an aside, I took a picture on the taller stool for my dad and it came out similarly awkward, as if I were inviting you to look up our noses. The angle was great on my test-shot-daughter, but awful on those of us taller.

August 9, 2009

August 09 2009 2009 in Pictures

I don't feel well today so I'm doing my own blog, funny, isn't it? Here's today's picture. My daughter took it as practice for her photo contest, or maybe as an entry. We won't know until later.

Macro Auto no flash Display (she says)

August 8, 2009

August 8 2009 FailBlog: Funny Fail Pictures and Videos

Design Fail


She's trying to die an honorable death by having her veins ripped from her arm. Come, my falcon!

Picture By: Indoor+Flash+12x zoom

For Original Blog FailBlog
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This is not the blog I had planned on today, and we got home after a long (FUN!) day and I looked back at my pictures and had gotten lucky at dinner with this one. I didn't think of taking a picture of it until my husband told me I should, and I didn't remember having taken it until I went through the day's shots. It was kind of a fortuitous photo all around.

August 7, 2009

August 07 2009 WebEcoist: Sustainable Living, Green Design and Environmental Oddities

12 Repurposing Ideas in the Shop

Owning a business is tricky and making things work with the resources on hand instead of buying a solution to a problem is sometimes the only way to hold on to the business advantage. It also allows for spontaneity: problems can be solved as quickly as they arise. Practical applications of things that already come in through the doors keep many out of the trash, but these aren't always as obvious as they may seem. It often takes a special perspective to get exactly the fix needed. In this shop, there are several clever repurposed items as solutions throughout.


The Office

Many aspects of the office demand special treatment, like files, books, and computers, but the busy daily life of an office invites some innovations. In this shop, a quick shelf was built from tongue-and-groove boards for the cleaning supplies that needed to be kept on hand. Extra wall space was in demand and was created in an existing window by using the same tongue-and-groove. Covering the reception counter top with a clear plastic vinyl sheet and supplying wet-erase markers eliminated the need for blowing through piles of notepaper as well as solved the problem of misplaced notes.

The Bathroom
The bathroom added into this shop had some oddities that needed addressed. For one, the doorway didn't face the customers, and a wall of bookshelves eliminated the obvious sign-on-the-wall option. Here the bathroom sign was mounted to an old piece of steel and attached to the frame, visible to customers and allowing access to the books. Wiring the ventilation fan to a switchplate was an electrical job easily avoided with a pull chain extended with a bit of string. That extra roll of toilet paper, usually seen wrapped in industrial paper packaging, is more conveniently located under a CD spindle pack lid, clear for easy identification, and unlikely to get greased or wet by the staff.

The Shop

The heart and soul of the operation has been assembled over many years of use. Plastic jugs that various fluids come in have been carved in innovative directions to function as vessels for parts, tools, and pieces. Aside from the light-allowing windows there are special lighting needs when working on cars. This flourescent light fixture is usually hung parallel to the floor, but in this case hangs vertically from a pole welded to a steel wheel for balance.

The tool chest served only so well, so it was altered with an additional open shelf with a lip to keep tools from sliding off, a brace to keep the lid open, the rear rigged with various hooks to make it useful all around, and some magnetic options stuck on to the side. It's the shop equivalent of a baker's rack: everything you need is there and will roll to whereever its needed.

Shelves are only as useful as its ability to hold what needs held: this shelving unit was re-assembled to have a box and some height to fit the needs of the equipment. Hoses that can't be let to hang with a kink have been carefully hung over coffee cans mounted to the side of the bookshelf.


This shop makes the most of all its open spaces and very little has been mass produced, instead, the solutions have been born out of necessity and creativity.


For Original Blog WebEcoist
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My third day in the shop working on the van build.

This blog required me to include many more pictures, but they are worth it. I've always admired the reduce-reuse-recycle mentality of my aunt- and uncle-in-law and showcasing it was a breeze. I wanted to show you the compressor rig from dividing it for the two parts of the shop; I helped rig it but I guess they didn't end up using the faucet end that I had prepared as a stopper. Wasn't necessary, I guess.

Van is coming along.

Photos: Portrait, no flash via Picasa Collage builder

August 6, 2009

August 06 Skull-A-Day 3.0

Skulls are Crunchy and Good with Ketchup

Artist A.H. contributes Dragon, with a side of Skull.

"It is a moment of insignificance, and a reminder that even humanity has a predator. All that is left is something that vaguely reminds us of ourselves. Done in charcoal, pastel, oils: remnants of life in themselves."

[Insert someone else's assessment of my work. Your assessment, if you'd like.]

For Original Blog Skull-A-Day
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I was not able to get the material for the post I wanted to do today, mostly because we did not go where I had planned on acquiring said material. I will use it a different day. I went home and drew this. It took only one screw-up to keep my dragon from looking like a cartoon. I used the flat edge of a chopstick (ironic, medieval dragon, Chinese tool) to rub the charcoal and pastels. It's just on a notecard, but I sealed it anyway. It came out nicely.

Photo: Portrait, macro, no flash. I used this custom lighting setting to evaluate white balance before I took the picture. The previous attempts came out blue; I was surprised to see the difference after the balance setting.

Did I ever tell you I am a dragon? I can tell because my shadow is a dragon. It's kind of comforting.

August 5, 2009

August 05 2009 Homemade Hilarity: An homage to horrific art projects and misguided handicrafts everywhere

Toss it into My Scrap Bag

In an entire store geared toward selling you fabric and fabric accessories, why would something that looks like leftovers pass for an example completed project? Maybe the idea that hibiscus and bamboo handles should occupy the same bag crossed someone's mind as they were in the design stage, or maybe they just took some remnants with a similar color scheme and put it together. The disregard to dots, stripes, patterned print dichotomy is pleasant compared to what possessed the creator to add beaded pink fluff to an otherwise already visually busy bag. And of course the hardware being too heavy for the fabric construction, weighing it down under its overkill role as graspable accessory.

So, with which outfit should I carry this, because I'm not feeling any of my nice summer drapey prints, or plaids, or stripes, or dots. And shoes: should they be beaded and pink? Contemplating a wardrobe around this accessory gives me a headache, a worse one than just looking at the pink and blue color shifts.


For Original Blog Homemade Hilarity
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I chose this blog this morning based on today's plans that I was going to go to the fabric store with my husband (yes, he goes to the fabric store much more often than I do). I was absolutely sure there was going to be some horrid example of things you could use their products for hanging around the shelves--gawdawful curtains, a quilt of unfriendly fabric, a ball gown of reflective silver. I got there and everything was cute! There wasn't a single thing there that made me cringe, except this, and I really had to stretch to make fun of it properly. It was not an obvious "hilarity."

However, I have (loosely) vowed not to agonize over this month's project any more this month.

Bring on tomorrow. I can take it.

Photo: Auto-Flash.

August 4, 2009

August 04 2009 Engrish Funny dot com: Your Engrish is Now!

Serving Suggestion


Use in place of fresh ginger in equal amounts
dressings, stir-fly dishes, curries, sauces, or when a fresh ginger

Submitted by: Auto via Macro-Flash

For Original Blog Engrish Funny
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Today's post writing sucked.

I did not know what I was doing until ten o'clock this evening. Not going to happen again.

I made a list of all the blog ideas I had accumulated and made notes and then went to the store to find something that could only be found (as in, I couldn't fabricate it with my crafty hands). Besides an incongruous fire truck (Oceanview Fire Department) in front of one of our neighborhood motels, my grocery store seemed like a funny-rich location. I scanned all the hand-written signs to no avail. Then I browsed the Model Cake book and then I headed for the Culture-Specific Food Aisle. Wouldn't you believe it, most of the product labels were well edited by an English speaker, or there were no labels in English at all. No hits on any of my other blog options, none that were as funny as this one, a stereotype that managed to slip by the editors. Yay me! I found one! I found that my excellent editing skills were useful in this search. I found a few ingredients misspelled, and most people can't even pronounce them to begin with.

Anyway, I well-organized my list of blogs so I shouldn't have another no-idea day for quite some time. Yay I'm excited again! Also, I have a list of 31 potential blogs, though I'm hoping for some good ones to crop up between now and the end of the month for replacement of some of my less-interesting options.

Don't forget to let me know how I'm doing! (In other words, comments, please?)

August 3, 2009

August 3 2009 Wonder Berry Kids: Cooking with Kids | Gardening with Kids

Cooking with Kids: Grandpa's Pickles

We've always wanted to try Grandpa George's Pickle recipe because we know how many pickles get eaten in this house, and it's remembered how good the pickles are. We took a trip to the farm produce stand and harvested some fresh dill and pickling cucumbers from their available selection.

An old family recipe with the kids is a great way to carry on tradition. With canning pickles, kids can help with nearly every step. You do a bit of prep work and let them work side by side either in assembly-line formation or at the same task.

Grandpa's Pickles:
Brine:
2 cups Cider Vinegar
6 cups Water
1/2 cup Pickling Salt

Pickling Spice:
Whole Juniper Berries
Whole Coriander
Cinnamon Sticks
Whole Mace
Whole Cloves
Whole Allspice
Whole Yellow Mustard Seed
Whole Black Pepper
Powdered Ginger

In the Jar:

Cucumbers
1-3 Cloves Garlic
4 Fresh Dill Leaves and Stems
1/2 tsp Pickling Spice
1/4 tsp Alum
1/8 tsp Crushed Red Pepper (optional)
1/2 Bay Leaf (optional)
Brine to rim of jar, boiling

Bring canning water close to boiling, and cook for 3 minutes after cucumbers turn an olive green. Remove from heat and cool. Store 6 weeks before sampling. (Says Grandpa, but he's not going to stop us eating them sooner.)


Here are some steps that kids of any age can help with:
Scrubbing cucumbers
Stuffing jars
Gathering spices

Older kids can help with:
Chopping ends off of cucumbers
Preparing pickling spices
Measuring into jars
Prepping canning tools
Watching for color change

Mom Tip: If you separate the individual jar ingredients before the kids stuff the jars, they can stuff from empty to screwing the lids on adding a sense of finality and completeness. If you put a piece of tape with the kids' names on it after it comes out of the canning water, they'll have their own jar to look forward to.

The hardest part? Waiting to eat them!


For Original Blog Cooking with Kids | Gardening with Kids
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You all lucked out with my double Food-Whammy this week, considering I rarely do anything that has to do with food. On the other hand, I frequently work with kids so today's post is far from being an abnormal part of my life. This was originally the Chef's project but I let him be Head Chef, took the Sous-Chef role, and organized the array of Line-Cooks I had at my disposal.

After the pickles were done, I pondered how I was going to make today's events into a blog. I spent most of my afternoon and evening on this project, googling for "canning blogs," "food humor blogs," "homesteading blogs," until I stumbled upon "cooking with kids" and found a good model for today's post. I read back and back until I thought I had a good feel for the writing style and purpose of the original blog, and then I copied it in my own way.

The original blog does not discuss photos/photo credits so here they are:

Photo 1, model was thrilled with this particular cucumber. Auto+ flash + zoom.
Photo 2, taken in the mood of the model blog, a representation of the final product. Auto + macro + flash + zoom.

Of the progress photos, these fit both my parameters of anonymity and the model blog's parameters of Progress/Product/Children included.

August 2, 2009

August 02 2009 Graph Jam: Music and Culture for People who Love Charts

Contents of One and a Half Gallons of Gazpacho

Contents of One and a Half Gallons of Gazpacho
Graph by: stand on stool+auto-flash+iridescent lighting via mathwarehouse

For Original Blog GraphJam
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Juice of L.. is Juice of Limes.

The number preceding the ingredient is in Cups

Contents of Other:
Garlic
Red Vinegar
Grapeseed Oil

I haven't eaten it yet, but I'm sure it's delicious. All but the oil and vinegar, water and ice came from Okagawa Farms today. It was quite a busy place, but no green chilies in bushels yet.

Turn on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Blanch tomatoes, peel and chop or blend. Chop only the whites of the green onions. Turn on Radio Lab. Chop all other veggies, add a bit of the "other" ingredients, stir in ice. Cover and refrigerate for 2-4 hours while listening to This American Life. Serve cold in a bread bowl with garnish of cilantro, if you feel like it.

Anyway, that's what I did.

(Radio shows podcast from NPR.org, This American Life, RadioLab )

August 1, 2009

August 01 2009 There, I Fixed It: Epic Kludges + Jury Rigs

My Finger Doesn't Bend That Way


Image Credit: Photographer's rig, Auto, with flash
Rube Goldbergian Solutions

car, baling twine, handle, broken


For original blog There, I Fixed It.
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Today's blog does not do text, so I get to write about the blog as opposed to write like it.

I have been following There, I Fixed It for about a month. I've enjoyed the random nature of some of the subjects in the photos, and the ingenuity of the people who created the "fix." I remember thinking, "I never see anything like this in real life," but today with no particular goal in mind, I saw my target and knew instantly what today's photo and blog would be.

I spent some time contemplating the phrase "Jury Rig" because I was so sure that it was "jerry rigged" and I had to look it up. My research learns me this:

Jury Rig is a nautical term for the mast erected temporarily when a permanent mast breaks, and is intended to be replaced with a repaired mast when weather and time allowed. This "jury" mast may be made of whatever is lying around. Thus, "Jury Rigged" has come to mean a hodge-podge makeshift fix.

Many sources say that Jury Rigged has commonly been confused with Jerry Built, thus, "Jerry Rigged".

Jerry Built is a term referring to a quality of construction usually sub-par, or shoddy.

However, I did find a tid-bit about the term "Jerry Rigged" that is not a mispronunciation. During WWII, German warcraft like tanks were commonly seen repaired with doors off of buildings and other various hodge-podge. These repairs were generally permanent, just enough to keep the machine in working order to continue the fight. Such repaired vehicles were called "Jerry Rigged" from the term "Jerry" used to refer to German soldiers.

I did all this linguistic origin research way before I decided this month's project, and definitely before I decided to share all my information with you. If I knew the sources that I accumulated this knowledge from, I'd share it with you. If you find information to the contrary, leave it in the comments. You can comment anonymously on my blog, so don't let "signing in" deter you from hacking my perceptions to pieces.