Monday, October 31, 2005

Awards Time!

Today I would like to present R. Bank with the "I'm Pretty Sure That Goes Without Saying" Award. This Halloween Day award is being presented to this establishment in recognition of this sign that is posted on their front door.
















This sign was chosen because "Please don't rob us" was thought to be offensive to those bank patrons who weren't actually planning on committing a felony.

This establishment is also being recognized for their speed of service. The Cecil Tortoise Award of Excellence* is also being presented in honor of their efforts to have a line out the door at all times. A bank official was overheard crediting Wal-mart for giving them the idea of having three times the amount of teller windows as actual tellers to work them.

Please join me in congratulating R. Bank.

Sponsored by:
The Department of Motor Vehicles
The North American Snail Foundation
The Three Toed Sloth Society
and Christmas

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

Advice from the guru

A buddy of mine Eric...who I like to think of as my personal relationship advice guru...gave me this piece of advice regarding the wedding.

He said, "Just remember that the wedding is about two people....her and her mother."

Monday, October 24, 2005

What time does the courthouse open?




















Well after almost five years together...minus the obligatory 6 month break-up...Anna and I got engaged late last week. I had a former co-worker of mine set up a bogus photo session in the warehouse of the newspaper where I worked when Anna and I first met. I then showed a video of images from the night we met. Anna was a senior in high school when I was assigned to go to her house and make her portrait for a story involving her. Almost exactly a year later we struck up a conversation on AOL Instant Messenger and five years later she's picking out china.














Folks immediately begin asking us, "When's the big date?" I ask them what time the courthouse opens on Monday morning....and they always laughed. What's so funny?













If you guys need me I'll be reciting "That's fine dear" and "Whatever you want is okay with me" until it sounds believable.

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

Here come the locust


I found this picture of me from the Iron Bowl (Alabama vs Auburn game) 2000. We were working out of this room below Bryant Denny Stadium when I spotted this guy. A nine foot wood carving of Paul "Bear" Bryant. At the time I remember thinking how hard someone had worked on that carving only to have it buried in a small media room out of sight. Probably not the recognition they were hoping for.

You know...God sent a plague after some folks in Exodus 32 for worshipping a golden cow. I wonder if some hard core Crimson Tide fans got their hands on this statue if they would wake up one day with locust, boils, and funny tasting water?

Saturday, October 15, 2005

Look-A-Like

Friday was my niece Bree's 2nd birthday...her first since she has been in the U.S. We had her party today at a Mexican restaurant...mainly because it was a "Dora The Explorer" party...she thinks she is Dora. Just to make sure you are with me here...she is Chinese....and she thinks she is Hispanic cartoon character...Dora. I can't get enough of that. Take a look at this picture...doesn't she look just like that little Dora doll she is holding?













My brother (her dad) also pointed out that with her little headband down over her forehead that she looked like Janie Fricke. Janie Fricke? Are you kidding me? I had forgotten all about 1970s-80s country music sensation Janie Fricke! Here's the side-by-side comparison...just in case you have forgotten about Janie Fricke.











Here is a link to all of the pictures from Saturday...in case you're interested. http://www.printroom.com/ViewGallery.asp?
userid=davejh23&gallery_id=273736


By the way...Bree doesn't like me yet. I'll keep you updated in case that changes.

Tuesday, October 11, 2005

WARNING

DO TO THE GRAPHIC NATURE OF THIS PHOTO VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.















No babies were harmed in the taking of this picture. However the child's father...who happens to be a HUGE Auburn fan...was indeed harmed...emotionally harmed anyway.

Being that I am a photographer it would be fair to assume that I took this photo. But I would like to clear my name and make it clear that I was not responsible for this.















I never said that I didn't approve of it...just that I wasn't responsible.

ADDITIONAL WARNING: Do not look at my "thumbs up" if you are grossed out by unintentional displays of double-jointedness.

Die Devil Bug!

I have never been one to wish death on anyone...until this summer. I can't wait until every mosquito in North Alabama freezes to death this winter. I haven't been to the Red Cross to give this summer but I have been a blood donor.

Friday, October 07, 2005

A Photo Quote

I read this quote from former AP combat photographer John Gaps III...

"The greatest thing about being a photographer is that a photographer is able to rescue a moment from eternity. Life - serenity - chaos - whatever - continues until the photographer plucks out one scene and makes it everlasting."

I miss newspaper work.

Wednesday, October 05, 2005

Take a number ladies

In that same batch of old pictures I ran across this...




















To answer your question...yes...that is a magnetic belt that I'm wearing.

My first 100 grand














I was looking through some old image CDs and I ran across the night in December 2001 that I celebrated my 1999 Saturn surpassing the 100,000 mile mark. Yep...100 grand in around two years. Anna and I were heading back to her house when I realized that I only needed twenty more miles to hit 100K. So we did what anyone would have done...we drove around and took pictures until it hit the mark. The funniest part about these pictures is the fact that the "Service Engine Soon" light was on when I took a photo of the odometer.












I was doing my best impression of the old Toyota commercials. Thinking back...I believe I would have been better off driving a Toyota.

No jinx! No jinx! No jinx!


I'm fully aware of the Sports Illustrated cover jinx. Many examples have been well documented. I need for this to NOT be one of those.

A great reminder












I worked for a small paper right out of high school for about a year and a half. This picture, from that same paper, is exactly why I am thankful I don't work there anymore. That's hard core news right there.

*******UPDATE********
It has been brought to my attention by an anonymous party...and my anonymous I mean Kim...that this post could be taken in a negative way. So please allow me to clarify. This was the type of thing I did not enjoy shooting while at this newspaper...however...there were plenty of things I did enjoy about working there. There were plenty of positives. So there...happy now?

Monday, October 03, 2005

He's naked...why can't I be naked?

Somehow the topic came up tonight between Anna and I that sometimes Wilson (my dog) sees me naked. Now...I don't go out of my way for this to happen...but sometimes after a shower...while changing clothes...etc...it just happens. Anna seems to think that this is weird. But he doesn't stare and I don't make a big deal out of it...so what's the big deal?