A great Post on Digital Photo Tips

http://www.10e20.com/blog/2007/07/27/21-ways-to-shoot-better-photographs/

Have fun people... good photo makes the memories look better.

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Vancouver Sun Run Race Report

I send this email to the guys I train with.   We have this thing where people would send a play-by-play of the race they ran.   So I gave mine.   I have fun writing it.   A few people liked it and so I thought I would publish it on my blog.   Here it is.   This is the Vancouver Sun 10km Road race that took place on Sunday 9am (obviously in Van city).   I made a few grammatical and spelling corrections for clarity, but it is otherwise untouched.

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Well in the fine tradition of Jay (and picked up by others), i thought
I would a blow-by-blow description of my race.

Well, woke up thinking I did not want to run, but figured that a race
would take less time than a pace run so off i went.   Had difficulty
finding the front, as I seemed to have approached the start from the
back end.   Didn't really warm up too well, as I ran quickly to the
start... but still felt surprisingly loose.   At 3 degrees it was the
coldest it's ever been at this race, thankfully Toronto was much
colder for most of the winter... so no prob there.

The start was downhill, knew it was going to be too fast, but figured,
what the hell, and stay with the group

1st km pace -- probably too fast

The second km people were settling in to their group.   Tried to keep
hustling without going to fast, still felt relatively comfortable...
not sure if that is good or not.

2nd km pace -- who knows

Somewhere between 2 and 4 km i thought I heard someone cheering for
the top woman.   I wasn't sure, but put on a bit of an effort to make
sure I don't get passed.   Not sure if I'm going too slow or she is
going fast or some combination, but I went faster either way.   It is
at this point that Orange singlet guy (henceforth OSG) & arm sleeve
guy (ASG) pass me, and start to pull along the group that had seemed
to develop.   We all start running as a pack of about 8 to 10 guys.
The first music group starts to appear... man they suck.   I appreciate
the effort, but couldn't they do better?

3 & 4th km pace -- pick up a bit due to scare

Nothing eventful in the next km, OSG & ASG are both generally up front
leading the group most of the rest are just hanging on to the group.
End up hearing the 5 km split, 15:35, not sure if that is a good or
bad sign.   I was shooting for an overall time of 31:20 or so... I
know I generally slow down, but still feel okay.

5 km -- 15:35

Just passed the 5 km mark is the bridge, and long slow uphill starts
to spread out the group.   OSG & ASG plus one other guy are pushing
the pace still.   As the group splits into two, i decided I need to
catch the front group.   Put on a surge which reminded me of Chafe
attempt to diss me off during the last pace run by surging repeatedly.
  I actually felt comfortable catching up, since I knew what to
expect... so I guess I owe Chafe a thanks.   It may or may not come.
Just before I completely close the gap, we hit the downhill and their
pace picks up slightly.   I'm hanging about 5 meters behind not really
closing anymore.

6 km pace -- ???

The next km has a lot more music acts and they all suck. Couldn't the
musicians have actually practised a little?   Anyway, at this point
this red singlet guy (RSG) comes out of nowhere (he wasn't with the
earlier pack) to try and pass me.   I figure since the pack in front
of me is getting further away, I should stick to this guy.  He tries
to shake me, but I stick to him like Whitney on crack.   He looks back
occasionally -- as if there is anyone else to worry about, i'm the
only one around, so not sure what looking back would do, since he
should be able to hear me.

7 km pace -- somepace/km

At this point, the pack of 3 in front (30 or so meters ahead) picks
off another guy and he joins them. RSG pace is good and he is doing a
good job of maintaining pace with that group.  We're not closing or
loosing ground.  I try to help him by going beside him and trying to
help the pace, but he decides he would rather race me.  Having given
the effort of helping lead, and refused, I let him do all the work and
wind breaking.  Fine with me... I know at this point he will not beat
me (not someone that dumb).  I finely hear some music group i like, an
African group.   And they sound good!  Encouraged by that and the fact
they only started to play as me and RSG were about to pass, I give them
some props (via a gesture).   This makes me smile and as I'm kinda
joking... it strangely causes me to surge pass RSG.  Not sure why, as
I wasn't trying to surge, but it feels easy and I go with it.

8 km pace -- probably the same as before but more fun

My surge cause the distance to the pack to close to 15 meters in a
matter of about a minute.  I'm inching closer and closer to the pack.
 As we hit the last hill (I later find out) & the 9 km marker, OSG &
ASG put on a surge on their own on the hill.  I manage to blow by the
other 3 runners (I think they picked up another guy from somewhere)
near the top.   But I can't seem to close the gap on OSG & ASG
especially since they are now racing each other down the hill toward
the finish line.  While I am running alone again.   I'm about 200
meters from the end (maybe less) when on of the other runners passes.
It's one of the guy in the front pack, i match his pace, wait a couple
of beats and think...

"I guess these people are going to get a show today."

Then I kick into another gear dropping the other guy. Keeping another
gear in reserve just in case to finish the race.

9 & 10 km pace -- a little faster... i think

1-5 km - 15:35
5-10km - 15:57
10km time -- 31:32.8

I ended up finishing just behind ASG & OSG.  I'm sure if I had gone
out with them, or caught a little earlier I could have a few seconds
faster, but hey i didn't.   Well that was it.

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Re: "Memo to Bosh: Shut up and win"

Dear Dave,

So let me get this right.

He asks for noise, because it makes a difference and your response is: No, get us excited. You called him (a bit) immature, and said the fan is always right.

Are you dumb? Immature? Clearly.

The point he is making is that noise (and crowd excitement) do make a huge difference. You think that Utah Jazz have a 36-4 home record, versus the 17-23 road record because some of the team can't travel with them? Your point about Raptors being 9th in attendance is irrelevant, he isn't asking for more general chatter, or higher attendance but cheering. Saying it's "your responsibility", not mine is what selfish, self-absorbed, immature people do.

Remember another Toronto sports star calling out Toronto for the same thing years ago? His name was Paul Winfield. The team would be the eventual World Series Champs, the Blue Jays. You think he called out Toronto because they weren't winning games (he did it in the playoffs)? Or because no one was at the games (we were setting attendance records)? It's because Toronto fans are quiet... even when we have a World Champion in our midst.

So memo to you: Stop whining and cheer.
Sincerely and annoyed,
Selam Yohannes
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Sad, Naive but a "nice" gesture

Interesting and sad news about a "peace" activist/artist.  

She was murdered.

You can read the short news report yourself, so I'll skip the highlight... but I will say it is both sad and nice.   It's nice cause of what (and why) she was trying to accomplish.   But very very misguided.   The BBC says about her:

               " She had said she wanted to show that she could put her trust in the kindness of local people."

She was murdered.

That is the true and classical definition of irony.   Clearly she proved the exact opposite of she was trying to accomplish.   You can't trust everybody.   Even Jesus (who many people associate with love, compassion and grace) taught us to use our judgement wisely (he did not, as many love to think, tell us not to judge --- he taught one should do it wisely, without condemning others and without hypocrisy).   A cynic (which I am not) may point out that this was bound to happen to her.   A cynic would be ignoring reality.   She made it from Italy to Turkey fine.   Had she not encountered that one man, she may have made it to her destination without too much difficulty... and "proven" her point.   Vast majority of people aren't out to harm others (at least purposefully).   But some are.

And her case just reminds us of that.   It's sad really.   But I suspect that people like this only come from nicer countries where they haven't had to encounter too much hardship growing.   Or at least nice neighbourhood/areas.   Cause anyone who grew up down and out (and this seems to be the case with the a huge chunk of the worlds population) would never have done this.  

It's just too naive.


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Rasheed, indeed.

I've always loved Rasheed.   There was always something about him that made him appealling to me.   This dispite the fact that he seemed to get more hate than love.

This article gives me some insight... and more love for that man.

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A good thing that the Olympics are in China...

Well,
It seems that with the whole world watching.   The internet still working and news unstoppable, China can't repress the truth.   But they are "crafty".   It seems that the whole "violent" monks bit was a ploy by them to win sympathy.

But it brings to mind two things.   That policeman in that photo... how does he justify himself, to himself?   I mean, most people aren't psychopathic... they must have some rational for what they do.   So what is his (and anyone else involved with it really)?

Secondly all those people that blindly believe any story that the government tells them... how can they keep buying horse manure so readily?


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ሰላም ዮሃንስ