Danger Dave asks some poignant questions (and implies a lot of truth) on the media’s insistence that our economy is terrible despite the fact that is it still growing.

Clicky clicky.

I’ve always loved photography. I remember the day, when I was about 14, that my dad allowed me to play around with his old Canon 35mm SLR. This was before the internet, so yes, children, I had to go to the library to learn about f-stops and depth of field, aperture and shutter speed. But I was immediately smitten. The first thing I did was long exposure, night photography. And it worked!!

Living in Colorado I learned that a half-blind monkey with a $5 disposable can take incredible pictures there because everywhere you look is there’s something incredible to see. On a trip to Aspen, Tammy convinced me to shell out $400 for a Canon Rebel G 35mm. What a great investment. Keep in mind, this was before digital cameras, so I also spent piles of cash on film and development. I have literally hundreds of prints of streams, mountains, flowers, trees, and other things of beauty that don’t exist in Texas. (Oh, come on. It’s just a joke.)

When we bought our first digital, it was the death knell for the Rebel G. It’s been gathering dust in my closet for years. I’d see it on the shelf above my t-shirts and my heart would sag a little. But who’s going to pay to have film developed?! You have to wait a week to know if the picture even came out! Psh. Are you nuts?

When Canon came out with their first digital SLR, it cost around $2000. It was a dream to dream, but nothing more. I’ve waited for years for the cost to come down and, thanks to eBay, the market finally came to me. Last week I received my very own Rebel XTi. All my old Canon lenses and accessories work on it! And at 10.1 megapixels, it takes incredible pictures (See below).

Still, there’s a whole new set of things I have to learn with a dSLR. White balance, sharpness, and ISO settings are all new to this old 35mm boy. The best part is that this time, I can take thousands of experimental pictures for free and know instantly what works and what doesn’t. It’s a brave new world!!

P.S. If anyone’s interested, I have a really nice Canon Rebel G 35mm for sale. Seriously!

[Edit: Just to clarify, this is not about cell phones. This is about personal freedom. Comments should answer the more general question posed in paragraph two.]

I’m going to pose a question to my audience. It is a contentious, divisive question. It may well spawn some comment wars. In truth, I kind of hope it does. Not that I’m encouraging angry “flame wars.” But I would like to see some lively (yet courteous) debate. “Why?” you might ask. Because I’m undecided on the issue and I want to see the pros and cons offered. That’s what debate is all about, right?

So here’s the issue: Where do we draw the line between personal freedom and responsible governance?

A community here in the DFW metroplex has proposed an ordinance making it a ticketable offense to use a cell phone while driving in a school zone. Talk radio is all ablaze with the personal freedom crowd attacking the city. They call it a slippery slope. They equate it to smoking bans in liberal cities on both coasts. Some have brought up seat belt and helmet laws in the same context.

However, I dare say that 99% of those bawling about the cell phone ban are in favor of banning abortion and most would prefer our government close it’s iron fist around illegal immigrants.

The difference between a cell phone ban and abortion is, admittedly, elementary. But what I want to know is where is the line? If helmet laws invade our personal rights, what about speed limits? Driver’s licenses? Vehicle taxes? If anti-smoking laws are draconian, why not legalize pot? Cocaine? Meth?

Let’s hear it? After a few days, I’ll come revisit the issue, give my opinion, and try to sort out the best points from both sides.

For the “blondes” in audience (or a particular red-head), let this one sink in for a minute or two.

Always go to other people’s funerals, or else they won’t come to yours.

Wait for it… Wait for it… (Two minutes later, she suddenly laughs.)

Regardless of my views on the origin of the Universe, Darwin has his place.

According to this snopes article, some teens have figured out that drinking bleach will keep you from contracting AIDS. I say, you can bleach the AIDS away and bleach the gene pool at the same time. Bonus!

Per the article, a capful of bleach with not save you from AIDS. However, I propose that a gallon of bleach will absolutely prevent the dreaded disease… by killing you before you have the chance to catch it.