Today was a beautiful day! Here are two shots of the lake as the sun was going down:
Here is a shot of me riding the jetski:
Blog
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Day 223 – Beautiful Sunset
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Day 222 – More Thunderstorms
The weather has been pretty unpredictable these past few days.
While Brad and I were out on the boat this afternoon, and the sky and radar was clear when we went out. We ate lunch out on the lake (some sandwiches we picked up earlier) and all was well. We were a good distance away from the dock, and we kept traveling farther away. All of a sudden, one of us looked back, and the sky behind us was very dark and ominous-looking. Not wanting to get soaked, we decided to make haste back to the dock and try to beat the storm. We had to head into it, but we hoped we could go fast enough to get through it before the rain started coming down.
As we went into the dark clouds, I think we went through the actual front. As soon as we went into area covered by dark clouds, the air was instantly cooler and the wind hit us. Within a few minutes, the rain started to pour. Then it started to pour really hard. That would have been fine with us for the rest of the trip back to the dock, but lightning was coming down pretty close around us. Close enough that the thunder was shaking us. Luckily, there was a restaurant on the lake with docks we could tie to and get away from the lightning as quickly as possible.
We ended up ordering a few appetizers so we weren’t just using the restaurant as refuge. Luckily, the storm passed as quickly as it came. I checked the radar, and another line of storms was on its way, so we hightailed it to the boat and motored back to the dock. Just as we got back, the second line of rain came in, so we made it back just in time.
For the rest of the week, we will be a little more attentive to what is happening with the weather. Hopefully I will have some more photos tomorrow!
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Day 221 – Lightning on Chautauqua Lake
There was major lightning before the full-blown thunderstorm rolled in tonight, so I hurried out and took a few rough shots:
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Day 220 – Philosophical vs Utilitarian Arguments
Brad and I drove up to his house on Chautauqua Lake this morning. On the way, we discussed some of the recent health care issues taking place in this country. (We also discussed various other things, but that is not the topic of this post.) While discussing the arguments against the health care reforms and how effective these arguments are, I was reminded of the importance of using philosophical arguments to win these types of battles.
Though utilitarian arguments are useful for certain situations, I think individuals defending liberty ought to seldom use them. Most utilitarian arguments are single-use, since they are special tailored to each situation. If you are going for a one time, quick win, utilitarian arguments can be very useful and the statistical evidence can be easily shown to everyone. Defenders of liberty, however, need to focus their arguments a little more long-term. The downside to using utilitarian arguments is that, because they are tailored to each situation, one might need many additional arguments in the future for all the new situations that arise. “You’ve won the battle, but not the war” seems to fit this–a utilitarian argument shows why one should support/oppose X but usually says little to nothing about all situations similar to X but with different particulars.
Philosophical arguments, on the other hand, strike at the root of the issue. If one can convince others that X is wrong on philosophical grounds, other arguments in the future on issues with similar foundations can be avoided. Instead of convincing people that your position on a single issue is correct, you can convince them that your philosophical outlook is correct and it will cover a whole range of issues.
As for arguing against the proposed healthcare reform, instead of attacking it as costly and poorly designed, defenders of liberty should try to convince people using one of these arguments or something similar:
Using coercion to justify and fulfill one’s preferences is wrong.
Stealing money from individuals to support other individuals is wrong.Of course, there are many other ways to argue against the proposed health care reform. Here is a good article I recently read from the Center for a Stateless Society on a market anarchist approach to health care.
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Day 219 – Schmap Atlanta Photo Guide
I just got word that one of my photos was selected for the Schmap photo guide of Atlanta! It was one that I took on my trip down there to visit my aunt and uncle. Check it out.Archived Link
Also, Sean and I will have a light graffiti photo coming out soon in the New Internationalist 2010 planner. As soon as I can get my hands on one, I will post a shot of it.
I am on my way to Chautauqua Lake with Brad tomorrow for a week. I look forward to a nice week of relaxing, taking photos, fishing, kayaking, and discussing economics! I will be back either the 15th or 16th, then I leave for college the 27th.
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Day 218 – Google Voice
My Google Voice account got activated! (If you do not know what a Google Voice account is, visit http://voice.google.com/.)
My number is: (440) 941-7247
Call, text, or leave me voicemails!
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Day 217 – A Beaver on the Vermilion River
I went kayaking on the Vermilion River after dinner today (or should I say half-kayaking and half-hiking?). The Vermilion River is too shallow, at least right now on the part I went on, to easily navigate with a kayak. I had to climb out and carry it around trees and across shallow areas countless times. I am not going back on that river unless we get a lot of rain!
Anyway, while I was at a fairly deep bend in the river, I spotted a large brown animal on the east bank in front of me. As I got a little closer and saw its tail, I realized it was a beaver! I was delighted to see one, as I heard they were making a natural comeback in the area. I had my Dad’s camera in the dry bag, so I quickly got it out, but the beaver saw me and slipped into the water before I could take a photo. I did see its handy-work on a couple trees right next to where I spotted it, so here is a shot of a tree gnawed by the beaver:
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Day 216 – Long Exposure Art
If you ever wondered how the long exposure art (a.k.a. light graffiti) shown below is created, Sean and I put together a short guide about it. Everything below was created in camera, not effects put in with a photo editor afterwards. Download the PDF to see how it is done! If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at cagrimmett@gmail.com
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Day 215 – Wedding Part 3
More photos from the Ferber wedding:
St. Joseph Church in Avon Lake:
Angie & Bill:
The happy couple cutting the cake:
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Day 214 – Ferber Wedding Cont.
As promised, here are more wedding photos. Some info: the ceremony was at St. Joseph’s Church in Avon Lake, then we took photos by the lake in Avon Lake and at a formal garden in Birmingham. The reception was at the Ferber house.
Below are some photos of the bride & groom and the wedding party. Bill & Angie wanted the photos to be a little laid back, so I did not pose the groups very much (note the guys with their hands in their pockets and the bouquets at the girls’ sides). Click on the photos to view them at a larger size.
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Day 213 – Ferber Wedding
Today my first hired wedding photography gig! It was Bill and Angie Ferber’s wedding. I just got home and I have over 1900 photos to edit, but here are a few of the reception hall. I will post some more once I edit them. Tomorrow will be a solid day of editing for me!
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Day 212 – Trout
I took this photo outside the Castalia Fish Hatchery on the Cold Creek in Castalia, Ohio. The hatchery raises rainbow trout, and these guys are the ones that got out. They live freely outside of the hatchery where people like me can come and take photos of them. Click on the photo to view it at a larger size.
A little bit of an update on my schedule: the professor I had for my constitution class went on sabbatical all of a sudden, so I got an email from the registrar telling me I have to pick a new class. I decided to opt for the honors section of constitution at 9am MWF with Dr. Portteus.
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Day 211 – Put in Bay
Today, Amanda and I spent the day at Put in Bay. (For those of you not from the Ohio area, Put in Bay is South Bass Island out on Lake Erie, off of the Sandusky/Catawba area.) After canceling because of rain twice, we finally had a beautiful day to go and hang out on the island. Here are a few shots from our adventures there:
Perry’s Monument:
Perry’s Cave:
Miller’s Ferry:
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Day 210 – Photos from Amherst
On Tuesday, I went out and took some photos that will be part of the set of the local Amherst cable station. They told me they wanted photos that exemplified the uniqueness of Amherst, and they all have to be horizontal. Here are some of the photos I am submitting to the station:
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Day 209 – Day in Huron and Surrounding Area
Today, I spent the afternoon and early evening with David Wagner. We went all over the place–Huron, Sandusky, and Castalia. Here are a few photos from our adventures. As always, click on the photos to view them at a larger size:
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Day 208 – Ohio / Tentative Schedule
Here is a shot I took a few days ago. This sign was put up in front of my town’s city hall during the Ohio Bicentennial in 2003. The sign is commemorating my town’s heritage as the Sandstone Center of the World.
Download the tentative weekly schedule for my fall semester in PDF format. -
Day 207 – Trap Shooting
Early afternoon today, I went and shot four rounds of trap to try out the choke tubes I just bought and to continue breaking in my over & under for the shotgunning course I am taking when I get to Hillsdale in a month. Here are a few shots my Dad took while I was shooting:
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Day 206 – Night Portraits
Tonight, I went out and took a few night portraits with my friends Shelby and Josh. Shelby was the model and her boyfriend Josh helped me with the lighting. Below are a few shots. Click on the photos to view them at a larger size:
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Day 205 – Visit From Old Friends
This evening, my Mom’s friend and her son from Seattle came to visit. They are in town for a wedding, so they stopped by for the evening. My Mom and Terry have been friends for 28 years. I first met her son (his name is also Chuck) in 1998 and again in 2000. He has lived in Seattle, Vancouver, and around Australia, where he worked at an Apple store! He is studying to become a dentist. It was nice to see him again!
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Day 204 – Major Photo Edit
A few years ago, I did a major photo edit for a lady in my school district. The original 4×6 photo had 5 people in it, and she wanted the guy on the far left taken out, but there was a problem: the guy next to him had his arm around him. So, I spent about two hours putting the guy’s arm back in and fixing the back ground. Click on the image below to see the before and after at a larger size:
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Day 203 – Black Eyed Susans
I got a few comments on the Black Eyed Susans that were in the back ground of the photos in yesterday’s post, so here is a photo of them:
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Day 202 – After the Rain
A heavy rainstorm came through right after dinner. Luckily, it ended quickly and the sun came out, so I went outside to take pictures around my yard. Which one do you like best? I recommend you click on the photos to view them at a larger size:
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Day 201 – Muffalettas
Tonight, Amanda came over for dinner with my parents and me, and I made muffalettas! The sandwiches had capicola, salami, pepperoni, provolone, and a freshly-made olive tapenade. They were delicious!
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Day 200
At 4:00 today, I met a friend of mine at the Amherst Townhall to take some photos. He is in an intro photography class, and he needed to use a SLR for this week’s assignment. After he finished the assignment, I let him try out all of the different lenses I have. To show to what extent a wide-angle lens distorts things, I let him take a photo of me holding out my hand in front of me:
The rest of my day was very nice. I went to a cookout for my Dad’s uncle’s birthday in the early afternoon, took photos, then went out to dinner with Amanda and spent the early evening walking on the beach with her.
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Day 199 – Quotes from YSC
“My goal is to confuse you at a higher level about more important things.” – Dr. Wenzel
“Road owners need to put 8 story high crosses in dangerous areas instead of ‘Go Slow’ or some nonsense like that.” – Walter Block
“I say that is nonsense…nonsense on stilts!” – Walter Block
“That is a good research strategy: fine people who don’t know what they are talking about and prove they are wrong…then you have yourself a paper.” – Larry White
“It is no coincidence that Lester Thurow’s nickname is ‘Les Thurow” (pronounced less thorough). – Larry White, in talking about how Lester Thurow does not look at both the seen and unseen
“Suppose there was a tiger in the room. Would you go over and ask it if it is a nice one or a viscous one? No! You would get the hell out! It is risky not to!” – Walter Block
The FEE seminar ended last night, so I stayed over night, then drove south to Hillsdale this morning, spend an hour there, then drove home. Here is a photo of me somewhere in the middle of Michigan today:
