Check out the fantastic decorated tables at this Redding benefit event!
We were privileged to attend the big local fundraiser for the American Cancer Society that is annually staged by the North State Cancer League. It was a black tie event at the Holiday Inn.
Last year’s event brought in over $120,000 we are told. Money raised goes to the cancer society to fund their good work.
A great time was had by all, and it seemed a good amount of money was raised. Thanks especially to 21st Century Oncology of Redding, and to the always generous Redding Rancheria for having us.
Another smashed Nikon
It seems I have developed a new and unwelcome talent for dropping expensive tech devices in the driveway. Last time, it was Erin’s iPad. Today, my hapless camera is the victim. Remarkably, it still takes decent images, even busted up. Kudos to Nikon. Still, it’s rather ugly to go aiming at anyone…
It seems only the filter is broken. But the impact bent the ring, so it won’t come off. I hope I can fix it.
Aaron and Erin are having a baby
Finding out a baby’s gender is one of the most exciting parts of pregnancy. How and when couples do this differs greatly. Some people are guessing as soon as they find out they are pregnant and will have a gender test at their 20-week-scan. This means that they can purchase gender-specific baby products and generally prepare for their new baby in relation to its gender. This has led to the recent craze of gender reveal parties, where people find out their baby’s gender and reveal it to family and friends in a number of different, inventive ways. In fact, some people are so desperate to find out the gender of their baby as soon as possible that people have started to test a method called the Ramzi Method. It’s suggested this can work out your baby’s gender right at the start of pregnancy, during the 8-week-scan. On the other hand, other parents don’t want to find out and will hold off knowing until the baby is born. Perhaps they like a surprise!
Modern ultrasound tests (similar to those used in other medical worlds that you can click here to see) take the guesswork out of baby genders long before birth. In our case, we wanted to find out, but wanted to share that experience with our loved ones. Erin had gone in for the test earlier in the day, but instructed the operator not to reveal the gender. Instead, the result was put in a sealed envelope. Later, we gathered some family and friends together at Old School Restaurant in Redding for our own little Gender Reveal Party. Here’s the results:
Got this tweet from Bruce Ross (@bross_RS):
“Careful with that. OB’s gave us two boys — Sophia and Lucia. // RT @ReddingFDotD: A #Redding Gender Reveal Party ReallyRedding.com/?p=8045”
That would be funny! Guess there’s limits to this science stuff.
Thunderbirds
Uneasy about Drones
The local paper ran an article today about the government using drone aircraft to aid in local fire fighting.
I’m uneasy about the use of drones over our heads. I can’t be the only one. Our meager uneasiness must be a fraction of the fear felt in places where the primary use of drone aircraft is military. How long until we have drones in our sky overhead, “for our safety.”
The Fist of God, but a button push away. It’s worth considering what that will be like.
seagulls from Mato Atom on Vimeo.
seagulls https://twitter.com/matoatom/status/302170010690932736
Big Little Red Riding Hood: Celeste Thorson – http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2294576
Little Little Red Riding Hood: Sarah M.
DP Assistance: Matt Lim
Soundtrack: Clinton Francis
Production Support: Seabright Pictures – http://seabrightpictures.com
Written, directed & post production: Mato Atom – http://www.matoatom.net
Attention, all monkeys dancing on a rock! Meteor/Asteroid Reminder.
Nasa will cover today’s asteroid flyby live on NASA-TV. Probably around 11:24 a.m. our time.
- ITEM 1 – ASTEROID 2012 DA14 TO WHIZ PAST EARTH SAFELY — UPDATE
The small near-Earth asteroid 2012 DA14 will pass very close to Earth on Feb. 15, 2013. Asteroid 2012 DA14 will be closest to Earth at about 11:24 a.m. PST (2:24 p.m. EST and 1924 UTC), on Feb. 15, when it will be at a distance of about 27,700 kilometers (17,200 miles) above Earth’s surface. NASA’s Near-Earth Object Program Office can accurately predict the asteroid’s path with the observations obtained, and it is therefore known that there is no chance that the asteroid might be on a collision course with Earth. Nevertheless, the flyby will provide a unique opportunity for researchers to study a near-Earth object up close.
Yesterday in Siberia, what probably was a small, 10 ton piece of the same chunk of matter as the much larger DA14 slammed into the atmosphere and blew out windows all over Russia. NASA assures us DA14 will “safely” pass us. Apparently, no such guarantee applies to the evident meteoric bits and pieces that accompany the big rock on its dark journey. It’s easy to forget. Space rocks fly past our home rock all the time. A big one is going to hurt. Dance on.
Eat Dessert First fundraiser images
Here are a few images from last evening’s fundraiser for the Shasta Family Justice Center. Held at the Turtle Bay Museum, we sampled desserts and mingled with friends and neighbors.
Thank you event sponsors, volunteers, and participants all! Thanks especially to the always generous Redding Rancheria. See you next year.
From Redding to Mt Shasta in 5 minutes
Last week, I photographed the drive from Redding to Mt Shasta in about 3000 individual images. Then, I strung them together into a video for 5 minutes, with music. The result is an interesting compression of this scenic northstate highway journey through the Sacramento River Canyon.
Redding to Mt Shasta from Skip Murphy on Vimeo.
I like how this technique plays with time. I’m hoping to do more of these. Already, one Vimeo film maker has asked if he could use segments of it in his own project.
Enjoy the journey.
Hey Northeast – u cold?
Another sunny Spring day in Redding. Today we experience the familiar disconnect. National news is full of blizzard, snow drifts, power outages, cancelled travel, and worse. Meanwhile in lovely Redding, we are spending the placid morning picking which gorgeous trail on which to spend a pleasant Saturday.
If your internet isn’t down, out there in the frozen Northeast. If you are pondering which superstorm will finally have your name on it. If you’d like to consider a place where you can run your business without fearing yet another megastorm disruption. Then consider Redding. We’d love to have you.
Shastina in Spring
It’s cloudy here today, but a few days ago I captured this image of Shastina from the northwest while hurtling southbound on Interstate 5, about an hour north of Redding.
Click to enlarge a bit. Shastina is in the foreground, with Mt Shasta beyond her. Shastina sprouts from the flanks of Mt Shasta, and may be the most recently active part of the volcano. The community of Weed lies at her feet.
February is Shasta County Spring, but in the higher elevations and for much of Siskiyou County, it remains Winter. But any time of year, all this beauty and more is just a short drive north from Redding.