Thematic Photographic 47: Music v.2.0

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"I'm So Board"
Raleigh, NC - January 2009 (Click to embiggen)

Hosted by Written Inc.

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Local or international, you'll find one of these in every serious band's truck. In this case it's a local band, and as such they don't have a "crew". The mixer is actually manned by the drummer, so there's no adjusting during a song. He's already got both hands and feet busy.

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Sky Watch Friday #30: Atlantic Sunrise Redux

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"Words Would Be Superfluous"
Atlantic Beach, NC - October 2008 (Click to embiggen)

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Sweetsauer Photo Hunt #1

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Twenty-six shots of ... random stuff assigned by (wait for it) Kristi.
Check out the other players and vote here. (There'll be a poll there somewhere, I just don't know where yet... I'd bribe you to take a moment and vote for me, but I'm a state employee... which means I can't afford to bribe anybody. Especially now that the Governor and the General Assembly have decided they pay us too much and they want some of that money back.)

Click to embiggen any of the thumbnails. All images open in a new window or tab.

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1. Cool or Interesting Architecture

Dorton Arena: Completed 1952 and uses no internal bracing. The entire structure is supported by the roof. I call that way cool.

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2. A Sign of Spring (Autumn in the Southern Hemisphere)

Dogwoods are a sure sign of spring around here. They're also the state flower.

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3. Something Musical

Organ Hall UNC-Greensboro School of Music. Taken at my son's recital.

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4. Something Sweet

The new "Premium" M&M's -- Mocha flavor specifically

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5. Something Metallic

Part of my Halloween costume last fall. No prizes for guessing what I went as.

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6. A Landscape

View from the summit of Mt. Mitchell, highest point in North America east of the Mississippi River. Hard to get more landscapey than that

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7. An Interesting Doorway

I don't know what's behind the door, I just know it's part of Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA.

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8. A Reflection

Side mirror on a 1960 Chevy Impala

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9. A Cemetery

Oakwood Cemetery, one of Raleigh's oldest graveyards

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10. A Pair of Shoes

It's not like I own a lot of shoes. These are the best hiking boots I've ever owned though. Insulated and waterproof but breatheable and just stupid comfortable. YMMV.

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11. A Body of Water

Is the Atlantic Ocean a big enough body for ya?

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12. A Drink

So why do they call it "Frappuccino" anyway?

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13. A Mosaic or Mural

Mural on the wall at Jimmy John's, a restaurant in Greensboro near UNC-G.

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14. Rain

Rain coming off the awning at my office.

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15. Classic Car (1970 or Older)

1966 Pontiac GTO - they don't get any more classic than this.

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16. A Work of Art

Sixteen tons of sand became this sculpture promoting "Bug Fest" at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences

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17. A Church

Church of the Good Shepherd Episcopal on Hillsborough Street a block from the state capitol building

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18. A Statue

Sauratown Woman, outside the NC Museum of History

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19. An Interesting Sky

I call it "Hole in the Sky"

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20. Something In Motion

Traffic at Night in Rochester, NY

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21. Lights At Night

View from the Boylan Ave Bridge in Raleigh

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22. A Silhouette

Trees on a ridgeline in the Blue Ridge Mountains

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23. Something Historical (pre-1900)

Hammock House, Beaufort, NC built c.1709 rumored to be haunted by one of Blackbeard's wives

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24. A Shot From An Unusual Perspective

One more time: Organ Hall UNC-Greensboro School of Music

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25. Flowers

Hibiscus in my front yard

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26. Self-Portrait

My hand stamp at India Fest 2009 at Dorton Arena (What, you were expecting my butt maybe? Be careful what you wish for.)

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It's The Playoffs Stupid - Round 1 Wrapup, Round 2 Schedule

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As promised, here are the photos from this year's third RDU Landing Party. This one was more like the ones of years past. And about time too!

Full sized version available here!

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Eastern Conference Quarterfinal Results

(1) Boston Bruins       d. (8) Montreal Canadiens    4-0
(2) Washington Capitals d. (7) New York Rangers      4-3
(6) Carolina Hurricanes d. (3) New Jersey Devils     4-3
(4) Pittsburgh Penguins d. (5) Philadelphia Flyers   4-2

Western Conference Quarterfinal Results

(8) Anaheim Ducks       d. (1) San Jose Sharks       4-2
(2) Detroit Red Wings   d. (7) Columbus Blue Jackets 4-0
(3) Vancouver Canucks   d. (6) St Louis Blues        4-0
(4) Chicago Blackhawks  d. (5) Calgary Flames        4-2

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Eastern Conference Semifinals (all times Eastern)
Boston Bruins (1) v. Carolina Hurricanes (6)

1. Fri 5/1  7:30 PM @BOS     3. Wed 5/6  7:30 PM @CAR
2. Sun 5/3  7:30 PM @BOS     4. Fri 5/8  7:30 PM @CAR
5. Sun 5/10 7:30 PM @BOS*    6. Tue 5/12 7:00 PM @CAR*
7. Thu 5/15 TBD     @BOS*    * if necessary

Washington Capitals (2) v. Pittsburgh Penguins (4)

1. Sat 5/2  1:00 PM @WSH     3. Wed 5/6  7:00 PM @PIT
2. Mon 5/4  7:00 PM @WSH     4. Fri 5/8  7:00 PM @PIT
5. Sat 5/9  7:00 PM @WSH*    6. Mon 5/11 TBD  PM @PIT*
7. Wed 5/13 7:00 PM @WSH*    * if necessary

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Western Conference Semifinals (all times Eastern)
Detroit Red Wings (2) v. Anaheim Ducks (8)

1. Fri 5/1 7:00 PM  @DET     3. Tue 5/5 10:30 PM @ANA
2. Sun 5/3 2:00 PM  @DET     4. Thu 5/7 10:30 PM @ANA
5. Sun 5/10 5:00 PM @DET*    6. Tue 5/12 TBD     @ANA*
7. Thu 5/14 TBD     @DET*    * if necessary

Chicago Blackhawks (4) v. Vancouver Canucks (3)

1. Thu 4/30 9:00 PM  @VAN    3. Tue 5/5  8:00 PM  @CHI
2. Sat 5/2  9:00 PM  @VAN    4. Thu 5/7  8:00 PM  @CHI
5. Sat 5/9 10:30 PM  @VAN*   6. Mon 5/11 9:00 PM  @CHI*
7. Thu 5/14 TBD      @VAN*    * if necessary

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Thursday Challenge #23: "Communication"

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"Net Effect"
Raleigh, NC - April 2009 (Click to embiggen)
Next Week's Challenge: "Spring"

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Window Views #2

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"Jimmy John's"
Greensboro, NC - April 2009 (Click to embiggen)

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Like most major streets near college campuses, Tate Street in Greensboro, right by the campus of UNC-G is home to a skein of restaurants catering to the student population. One of the more popular eateries in Jimmy John's, a sandwich shop famous for good subs, good prices and preposterously fast service (handy when you're late for class and starving). But it's also famous for its sense of humor, including the "Free Smells" sign in the front window. Well, it cracked me up anyway.

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Sepia Scenes #28: Open Under New Management

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"Bev's New House"
Raleigh, NC - December 2008 (Click to embiggen)

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This is the "Executive Mansion" (usually referred to as the Governor's Mansion) in downtown Raleigh. It changed hands most recently in November of 2008 when North Carolina elected its first female Governor, Bev Purdue.

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Lensday #21: "Experimental"

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"Surreal Overexposure"
Wake Forest, NC - February 2009 (Click to embiggen)

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Thematic Photographic 47: Music v.1.0

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"Now that's an organ!"
Greensboro, NC - April 2009 (Click to embiggen)

 Hosted by Written Inc.

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This week Thematic Photographic looks at "Music". I know what you're thinking. How do you "look" at music? Believe me, if you stop and think about the number and variety of ways music enters our lives on a daily basis you'll have no problems coming up with material for this theme. In fact, I wonder if a week is nearly enough time.

I'm fortunate enough to have a musically gifted son. He's currently majoring in Music Education at UNC-Greensboro and even though he's not a Performance major, he still has recitals and performances he's required to do. Recently the Saxophone Studio held an informal recital (I assume it's a warmup for the final one they'll do for a grade) in the new Music Building at UNC-G. This is the Organ Hall, a small recital hall with a big organ in it. I can only imagine how easily this rather intimidating instrument can fill up this space with sound.

I say I can only imagine, because this wasn't an organ recital so there wasn't a chance to verify my hypothesis. But the room is nearly acoustically perfect despite all the hard surfaces inside. Perhaps just a bit too acoustically perfect, because despite its relatively quiet shutter, I dared not take more than a few shots of each performer because the click of the mirror moving sounded like a gunshot in that room.

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It's The Playoffs, Stupid - Anything Can Happen

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Nostradamus got nothin' on me.

In my last ITPS post I said, "But after tonight, one group will be moving on and the other will be teeing off. Which will be doing which won't be settled until the final horn sounds."

It literally took that long.

Game 7 was a mirror of the overall series with neither team able to gain more than a 1 goal advantage, and that was the advantage New Jersey carried into the third period. Carolina's Tuomo Ruutu opened the scoring just 62 seconds into the game and Ray Whitney pulled the Canes even at 2-2 early in the second, but after 40 minutes the Devils led 3-2 on goals by Jamie Langenbrunner, Jay Pandolfo and Brian Ralston.

The third period did not bode well for the visitors. So far in the series neither team had won back to back games. Neither team had lost when leading after two periods. And for the first 18 minutes there was no indication that either of these trends would change.

Any time a playoff series in any sport goes to a seventh game you hear the same line: "Anything can happen in a Game 7." You'll also hear: "You have to play through the final buzzer." But in reality, there usually aren't that many surprises. The trends are trends for a reason, and you can usually get comfortable with them.

Unless you're talking about a Carolina-New Jersey playoff game. Where the improbable -- sometimes nigh-impossible -- happens despite the odds. The Devils had already had a taste of it in Game 4 when Jussi Jokkinen deflected the game winner in with 0.2 seconds left. Some of the Devils were around in 2006 To witness Eric Staal answering a late goal with one of his own 3 seconds from the end of Game 2 to tie the score and send the game to overtime.

And the way this series had gone in the first six games, there really wasn't any other way for it to end than with an heroic late-game score. So it really shouldn't have surprised anybody when Jokkinen ripped a bad angle snap shot past Brodeur with 1:20 left in regulation to knot the score at 3.

But even the most reckless gambler wouldn't have placed a bet on Eric Staal putting another puck past the winningest goaltender in history just 48 seconds later to give the Hurricanes their first lead since 2:31 of the first period.

Under the circumstances, it seems safe to say that Caniacs everywhere forgot how to exhale for the next 31.7 seconds. Especially with a faceoff coming up deep in the Carolina zone and the Jersey net empty for a sixth attacker. And the Devils didn't disappoint, they unleashed a desperate forecheck for the last half-minute. Carolina was unable to clear the zone, and New Jersey managed a handful of scoring chances -- most of them right in Cam Ward's face.

But when the final horn blew and the smoke cleared Ward was still standing, and the score hadn't changed. The sellout crowd that had been buzzing for the entire third period fell into stunned silence, and the handshake lines that are a part of every series ending game took place in an eerie quiet. By the time Jussi Jokkinen did his postgame interview with analyst Tripp Tracy, the stands in the sparkling new Prudential Center were dark and empty.

And folks, this was only the first round. There are three rounds still remaining to play.

What will they do for an encore?

(PS: Were there Caniacs at RDU International? Oh my yes. Hundreds. Pictures to follow later!)

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