Month: November 2015

Say What? The Penny Has Dropped!

Jeff

There is an expression,the penny has dropped, that I became aware of recently and I had no idea what it meant. I know the expression,dropping a dime on someone (see below), but this was new to me. As in interested wordsmith, I went to Google to retrieve the answer.

It refers to someone realizing the situation they are currently in after it possibly eluded them for some time. You can find out the derivation of the phrase by checking out the link from the Urban Dictionary. Phrase evolution is very interesting indeed!

Dropping the Dime on Someone – At one time a telephone call cost ten cents. Dropping a dime refers to tattling on someone or revealing information about someone via a telephone call. Of course it no longer has to be via a telephone call. The phrase is not in popular contemporary use, but it is found in detective novels from time-to-time.

STATUS QUOtes — 20151122

Jeff

“Halfway isn’t all the way, but it’s better than no way.” — John Updike

“We assume others show love the same way we do and if they don’t, we worry it’s not there.” — Unknown

“You specialize in something until one day you find it is specializing in you.” — Arthur Miller

“Sometimes, you have to air your soul out to someone who isn’t legally bound to listen. That’s where friends come in handy, because clergymen judge you and bartenders require a two-drink minimum.” — Michael Grady

 

JBRish.com originally published this post

Scaredy Cats … It’s a Cucumber – Surprise

Jeff

Apparently cats are terribly afraid of cucumbers. The video below shows cats being surprised and/or scared by finding one so close to them. According to a recent article on Gizmodo, my source for this video, some knowledgeable “cat people” feel that scaring your cat this way may cause psychological damage. Anyone who has ever owned a cat understands that cats don’t need any further assistance in this area! So…pet owners beware – Don’t Try This At Home!

NOTE – All of the cats in the video are scared while eating or drinking. Could this be related to scaredy-catness; i.e. The Hunger Games?

STATUS QUOtes — 20151121

Jeff

“The gods too are fond of a joke.” — Aristotle

“If past history was all there was to the game, the richest people would be librarians.” — Warren Buffett

“If the phone doesn’t ring, it’s me.” — Jimmy Buffett

“Dentist: A prestidigitator who, putting metal into your mouth, pulls coins out of your pocket.” — Ambrose Bierce

 

JBRish.com originally published this post

Pickleball – Play Balls

Jeff

On the heels of my November 13 post, Ball-istic-Some Pickleballs Will Not Fly , there has been some confusion about which balls will be approved for tournament play and which balls will not carry that certification.

To answer any questions, the USAPA, in partnership with the IFP, keeps a list of approved balls. Instead of wondering which balls are not approved, it might be more prudent and perhaps easier to keep track of the balls that are approved.

You can find the list here:

USAPA Balls Approved For Tournament Play

NOTE-This is a “moving target” as specifications will most likely change from time to time or other reasons my evolve which declare different balls non-tournament worthy and/or others that may be added to the list. It would be prudent to check back from time-to-time,

An even better way to keep track would be to join the USAPA and receive their emails and newsletters. Membership information is HERE.

I hope this is useful information.

See you on the courts!

STATUS QUOtes — 20151120

Jeff

“Nothing is more expensive than a missed opportunity.” — H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

“When one man has the opportunity to lead an extraordinary life, he has no right to keep it to himself.” — Jacques Cousteau

“It’s not what I feel for you… it’s what I don’t feel for anyone but you.” — Unknown

“I hate small towns because once you’ve seen the cannon in the park there’s nothing else to do.” — Lenny Bruce

 

JBRish.com originally published this post

STATUS QUOtes — 20151119

Jeff

“When you blame others, you give up the chance to change yourself.” — Don Eduardo García

“Another belief of mine; that everyone else my age is an adult, whereas I am merely in disguise.” — Margaret Atwood

“There is greatness in doing something you hate for the sake of someone you love.” — Shmuley Boteach

“If I ever need a heart transplant, I want his… it’s never been used.” — George Raveling

 

JBRish.com originally published this post

The Photographer May Be More Important than the Subject

Jeff

“A photograph is shaped more by the person behind the camera than by what is in front if it.”

Photo-One Man, Six Visions

Those who are professional photographers or serious enthusiasts have probably heard a comment something like the following:


“If I had your equipment, I could also take superb pictures.”

There is a modicum of truth to this and that is, in order to capture certain photographs, specialized equipment may be needed. Having said that, however, I must support the idea that the photographer and not the equipment is the most important ingredient in the creative/artistic equation.

A trained photographer creates a vision of their subject and it is often based upon that particular photographers accumulated skills and past experiences.

The YouTube video below points to the importance of the photographer, their creative vision and the experience they bring to the situation. I don’t want to “spoil” the video so watch it and I am sure you will be able to connect the dots and draw the appropriate conclusion.

In part, here are some of the comments associated with the video on YouTube:

“A photograph is shaped more by the person behind the camera than by what’s in front of it.

To prove this we invited six photographers to a portrait session with a twist. ‘Decoy’ is one of six experiments from The Lab, designed to shift creative thinking behind the lens…

Special thanks to the photographers who participated in this experiment: Chris Meredith, Jin Lim, Lyndal Irons, Kate Disher-Quill, Franky Tsang & Tristan Stefan Edouard.”

If you want to read more about this and the philosophical underpinnings, Pamela Ann Berry wrote a photofocus post about. It is an important lesson to keep in mind.

STATUS QUOtes — 20151118

Jeff

“We are who people think we are.” — David Foster

“Set your course by the stars, not by the lights of every passing ship.” — Omar N. Bradley

“Moral indignation is jealousy with a halo.” — H. G. Wells

“Which painting in the National Gallery would I save if there was a fire?… the one nearest the door of course.” — George Bernard Shaw

 

JBRish.com originally published this post