Banff Squirrel

What else could I be posting about if not about this now infamous Columbian Ground Squirrel? The story is that two British tourists visiting Lake Minnewanka in beautiful Banff national Park, Canada, wanted to take a photo of themselves with the lake and mountains in the background. They placed their camera on some rocks and set it to take the photo on timer.

However, attracted by the sound of the timer, this squirrel pops up just at the right time to crash the photo. The couple were so amused by this photo, they posted it on the National Geographic website and from there, the squirrel photo has made it round the world. In fact, the squirrel is now appearing in other photos too.

He is now a global celebrity. Way to go, brother.

Nuts Even Squirrels Can't Love

I just love this photo which I found floating about in the internet (sorry, don't know who to credit). It reminds me ever so much of a Jasper Carrot comedy sketch entitled "Nutter on the Bus". To hear the sketch, click on the title in the previous sentence.

For you lazy so and so's, I have also included part of the script below which I have to thank Gavin Corder for as I lifted it off his blog ;

When the nutter gets on the bus, why does the nutter always sit next to me?

I was on the bus the other day and I could hear this nutter getting on behind me. I can tell he's a nutter because he's calling out...

'Eeek! Has anyone seen my camel!!?'

And everyone on the bus is praying quietly ‘Please God don’t let the nutter sit next to me. I’ll do anything you want but please don’t let the nutter sit next to me’

Nutters love showing you things, "I've got an atom bomb in here!"

And he shows me a corned beef tin ...

Well once you've got the nutter everyone else can enjoy it...


Anyway, back to the photo. That green thing could be the Swamp-Thing or even cousin Thing from the Munsters but most likely it is just a Nutter on the Subway and I have to tell you that this is one nutter that even this squirrel won't want to collect.

I love the look on the face of the woman sitting next to him. Looks like she is thinking of something appropriate to say, doesn't it? The man in the background however, doesn't care. He's just glad the nutter did not sit next to him.

I was wondering what the Nutter might say to the woman. Or what the woman might say to the Nutter. Any suggestions? Be creative but please keep it PG-13. Look forward to seeing the products of your wicked imagination.

Anyone Out There?

I know its the Olympics and all over the world, people are glued to their television and enthralled by the drama and tension of competition. I know because the blogging traffic has dropped by about 50%. I know because I too am getting very little sleep at night watching the daily highlights.

Still, the blog must go on. For those of you ardent sport haters/ haven't paid thier cable bills/or have so much free time that you can blog and watch Olympics, I thought I would reward your dedication to blogging with a little bit of "caption writing" fun. Please suggest the funniest or most suitable caption for this picture.

My Dream House

I do not think that I am fussy nor demanding. In fact, I am fairly content and easily satisfied. I am not one of those who desires the fastest or most luxurious cars. Where some may pant after a Lamborghini or perhaps a Rolls-Royce, my dream car is nothing more exalted than the Volkswagen Golf Convertible and I am absolutely content with the Honda City that I do drive.

The same applies to houses. Sure, it would be nice to own a mansion or even just a large house but that really isn't important. Home is where you make it and a small studio apartment can be as happy a home as a big mansion. I do like water though. It would be nice if the house would be near water. I would sit on the porch and just watch the seasons change.

Nevertheless, if any of you kind folk can find a way for me to live at any of these places, I'd be much obliged. Thank you.

Somewhere in the Laurentians, Quebec

Somewhere on an island off Iceland

Somehere on a fiord in Norway

Would any of you like to be my neighbors?

Happy 2008

Picture Me This

Once again, another meme which I have stolen from Jess.

THE UNCREDITED GOOGLE IMAGE MEME
(Just type the answer to the following questions into Google Image, then pick from the first page.)

1. Age at My Next Birthday:-


2. Place I'd Like to Travel:-


3. Place I've Been:-


3. My Favorite Food:-

5. Place where I was born:-


6. Place where I live:-


7. Name of Past Pet:-


8. Best Friend's Nickname:-


9. My First Name:-

10. My First Job:-


Feel free to join the fun. (Answers in next post).

One Week Special

Okay, I have succumbed to pressure from certain quarters. It seems some people actually do not believe I am a squirrel and that my usual handsome hairy faced, long whiskered portrait that adorns my profile on my blog is actually that of a body double. Others are so cynical as to think that the Lone Grey Squirrel is actually a man in a suit (and they want to see the man in the suit!). Where is the trust in the world? Next you'll be telling your children that Santa is really Daddy in a beard. Or that Big Bird is actually an overweight cigar smoking puppeteer in a yellow costume. Shock horror! Where will all thus cynicism end?

Anyway, under a miniscule amount of pressure (I cave in easily), I have decided to shave my whiskers and pose for this photo. But it will be up only for this week. A one week special. It seems that any longer and I risk being identified and located by the police who want to talk to me about a certain cat and buttered bread scam.

How should you react to this once in a lifetime opportunity? You should lie and compliment me on my good looks and start sending money to me for my obviously much needed plastic surgery. What I know some of you will do (and I wish, you won't), is to doctor the photo and embarass me by having me next to Paris Hilton or Britney Spears. And Ivan, resist the temptation to put my face on your dartboard. Gerbil, don't use my face to line the cage. Cruel world, I am at your mercy.

Before and After Magic

Regular readers will know that after almost six months of anticipation (and actually some several years of procastination), I finally got myself a scanner just recently. In keeping with the brotherhood of men, my behavior since been dominated by the "Ooo. Cool Gadget. Must Play" gene which is known to be asssociated with the Y-chromosome. I have scanned almost everything I can think of to give it a try. Photos, I mean.

Anyway, I am thrilled with the results of the scanner and the packaged Paintshop PhotoAlbum 5 software. When I felt that I still wasn't getting the best result, I tweaked the images further with Google's Picasa. I am so, so happy about the results.

I tried it out on a bunch of prints that I had, that had seen better days. They had been decolorised by heat and humidity and looked nothing like what I remembered the prints to look like. Yet by scanning and software magic, I have been able to recover much of their glory.

The software had problems with things like shafts of light against a dark background. Those just come out as a flare of light. However, the overall result has me in good spirits and high hopes that I can at least recover a semblence of my old, damaged images.

The set of before and after images in this post were done with a set of decolorised prints from a trip to Norway. Bear in mind that these prints are 22 years old. I will blog on something more substantial when my scanner breaks down. (Can you imagine that I am this cheerful despite the fact that Ducks owned by a Mickey Mouse Corporation now have their hands on the Stanley Cup?!!). Have a good week.

(Oh, almost forgot. All photos by LGS. From top left and going clockwise: 1. Pretty guide from the Folklore Museum in Bergen; 2. Ferry on the fiord; 3. Naerofiorden and 4. Highest point on Oslo-Bergen Railway.)

How it began

Guess what? I finally got my photo scanner. It's not the best as it was actually a free hand me down when an office upgraded their equipment but it will do for now. It means I can access my non-digital photos and that means I can at last show you pictures of Spikey and Loonie the two squirrels that started my obsession and downward spiral into subservience to squirrels. By the next spring I was firmly entranced as their slave, dutifully buying nuts every week on my pitiful student allowance, for an entire circus of some fifteen regular squirrels and assorted transients.

For the whole sorry story, read all about it in "Introducing the cast and characters", the suspenseful "Did I kill him?" and the X-file episode "Dissecting Spikey".

Anyway, I am celebrating having the scanner at last as it gives me access to a lot more material. Happy days.

Jungle Stream and Mahua Falls

Mahua Sub-station, Crocker Range Park (LGS)

During my recent trip to Borneo, I made a visit to the Crocker Range Park. The Crocker Range is a range runs parallel to the western coast of Sabah. It is located about 2.5 hours from the town of Kota Kinabalu. At the north end of Crocker lies Mount Kinabalu which is the tallest mountain in South East Asia. The entire mountain range consists of sedimentary rocks laid out in layers of sandstone and shale which have been uplifted.

The Crocker Range Park was formed to protect the pristine forest and many endangered plants and animals but its primary function is to protect important watersheds to ensure a continued supply of clean, fresh water.

One of the stops was made to the Mahua Sub-station. From here, a short trail leads to the 50 foot high Mahua Falls.

Juvenile Cicada (LGS)

Mahua Stream (LGS)

Sedimentary Rock Layers at base of Mahua Falls (LGS)

Mahua Falls (LGS)

What the World Needs Now...(Addendum)

If you look at the previous post, you will see that I felt that the world needed "Peace", "Tranquility" and "Serenity". This was really partly in response to the tragedies of Virginia Tech, the car bomb in Baghdad that killed 120 people and the other stories of violence and injustice around the world in the last week.

Jay, however, commented and rightly pointed out that what the world needs now is "love, sweet love". She is right and she is also refering to an old Burt Bacharach & Hal David song;

What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It's the only thing that there's just too little of
What the world needs now is love, sweet love,
No not just for some but for everyone.

Lord, we don't need another mountain,
There are mountains and hillsides enough to climb
There are oceans and rivers enough to cross,
Enough to last till the end of time.

What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It's the only thing that there's just too little of
What the world needs now is love, sweet love,
No, not just for some but for everyone.

Lord, we don't need another meadow

There are cornfields and wheat fields enough to grow
There are sunbeams and moonbeams enough to shine
Oh listen, lord, if you want to know.

What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It's the only thing that there's just too little of
What the world needs now is love, sweet love,
No, not just for some but for everyone.

No, not just for some, oh, but just for everyone.

What the World Needs Now is..........

LOVE, SWEET LOVE

Ladislav Kamarad (Gillespies Beach)

What the World Needs Now is.....

Peace

Ladislav Kamarad(1)

Tranquility

Ladislav Kamarad (2)




& Serenity

Ladislav Kamarad (3)

All pictures are of New Zealand (from top) : Matheson Lake, Milford and Soda Springs.

Camera Nut-Case

As you can tell, I just love photography. Have camera will travel. Have camera will annoy friends and even strangers! I would very much like to share more of my photos with you but most of the good ones exist only in print or slide format and not yet in digital (Santa failed to deliver the photoscanner I was hoping for). Nevertheless, I recently got a digital camera and I allowed my self to be self-indulgent and decided to post four of my favourite photos here. These were all taken with an Olympus Mu camera with the exception of the photo above which was sent to me by my friend Lefter.

Museum , Washington D.C.

My very first camera was a Kodak Instamatic which was really just like a toy camera. I was totally unhappy with it. So while still a student, I saved up a considerable sum of money for that time and purchased an Olympus OM10 which is a semi-automatic SLR camera which allows for a full manual mode. This may sound a little technical but basically it meant that I could buy and use exchangeable lenses and play around with speed and aperture. In short, I could begin to experiment and become creative with my camera.

Firedance, Ulu Watu, Bali.

I'll be honest, I probably liked photography cause it was a lot easier to be creative with a camera than with other mediums like painting. Press a button versus slaving over a canvas and a palette. It was a "no-brainer". Of course, I had to learn all kinds of technical stuff like zooming, depth of field, bracketing a shot etc. , but its all fun. Like many males, I just enjoy playing with technological toys.

Seaside at dusk, Durban, South Africa

Once, I had the Olympus OM10, my obsession or addiction with photography was able to blossom.
Today I laugh at Japanese tourists who carry a shoulder full of lenses and tripods, and who set up in the most inappropriate places such as lying down in the middle of the road, so as to get the perfect picture. I shake my head at people who wait 5 hours for the sun to reach the preferred spot for the photograph. But in both cases, that was me, that was me.

God-daughter and her dad, Malaysia

Finally, there was an occasion when I went on a picnic with some University friends and as usual, I brought my camera along. I took some really great portraits that day. Later, when we were looking over the photos, we had such a good time laughing over the funny antics. Then suddenly, it hit me like a falling ACME safe from a Warner Brothers' cartoon. It was such a fun day and the pictures showed everyone having so much fun but where was I? I was behind my camera, recording memories but not making them. It sobered me up. I have been more controlled in my camera use now. It's good to record life but it shouldn't get in the way of living.

Portland in Blues

Please click on photos to get a bigger picture (all photos by lgsquirrel)

Please bear with me as I could not resist having one more post in my current "blue" period. This is actually more of a photography posting as I wanted to share with you the top three pictures. However, I will natter on a bit about the background to these pictures.

I am quite proud of the pictures which I took from my hotel window as dawn breaks across Portland, Maine in late autumn 2005. The deep blues and glowing reds are the classic colors seen in the Singapore Girl photographs that I mentioned in my last post; so you can see that I have been influenced greatly by that series. At a personal level, I find such colors soothing and inviting. I try to get shots like these whenever I can. I hope you like them.

My visit to Portland, Maine was way too short - just three nights and two days. As I was there to attend some meetings, there was in fact little time to do any sightseeing. I did manage some and I plan to share more about this and about the wonderful people of Portland at another time. For now, I just want to share with you what I did at the start of each of those two wonderful mornings in Portland.

After taking those photographs, I was out into the freezing cold by 7.30 am. I could have eaten at the hotel but hotel food is hotel food the world over and it was not friendly to the pocket either. No, I purposely was out of the hotel earlier than I had too so that I could cram in as much of local life as possible. Most of my colleagues ventured no further than the convenience store further down the block for a hot coffee and sandwiches for breakfast. I, though wanted to be a bit more adventurous.

I wandered much further, allowing my nose and my stomach to lead me. At first, I was disappointed as nothing much seemed opened. Eventually, I headed down to the harbour area. I had to cross a very busy road but near the commercial harbour area there was a diner and it seemed very popular with the locals. It was functional and unpretentious but little touches like its community bulletin board suggested friendliness. It was "Becky's".

I never found out who Becky was and I did not ask but I found myself fitting right in even though I must have stood up like a sore thumb. The waitresses, the cook and the patrons were all engaged in cheerful banter with exchanges of greetings and well-wishes flying about at a regular rate. After ordering from the small menu, I found myself at the counter rubbing elbows with the locals; some of the burly, barrel chested men, I imagined must be weather-hardened fishermen. Others, from their conversations were clearly local artists and craftsmen, a couple of retirees and even some students. I was even sharing and exchanging sections of the local newspaper with others on the counter.

I was very pleased with the unhealthy size of my breakfast when it arrived. As I dug in, I was a silent listener to all variety of gossips and exchanges of local news which appeared to carry on with gusto despite the obvious presence of a stranger. This was great. I felt right at home. I even joined the locals in wishing one of the waitresses well as she planned to quit to carry on her studies. This was done surreptitiously as apparently the boss (Becky, I presume) had not yet been informed. Before I left, several locals told me the best place to get mussels, clam chowder and of course lobster for lunch. I took their advice and it turned out to be an equally friendly local haunt. I left Becky's full and satisfied in stomach and in spirit.

I was back the next day again but this time I considered myself one of the regulars!

My cheerful waitress

Nothing like a cold-busting Maine Breakfast

The friendly diner, counter and patrons

Singapore Girl in Blue

Here's a little insight into my thought processes; What shall I post? --> My last post was "Feeling blue" --> Okay, I'm still not quite out of the blues. --> Need to project a more positive attitude. --> Blue doesn't have to be bad or sad. --> What is blue and positive? --> Blue accentuated photography (like in previous post) can be beautiful. --> What photo series is both blue and beautiful? Something I like. --> Singapore Girl.



"Singapore Girl --- You're a great way to fly". This advertisement campaign started in 1972 at the very inception of Singapore International Airlines or SIA. It has been one of the most successful branding exercises in Asia and after 35 years, one of the longest running advertising campaigns. Wonderfully taken and quality photographs of beautiful girls in kebaya with warm, welcoming smiles against fantastic and sometimes fantastical backgrounds were a regular theme and blue was a prominent colour. It won many fans, who like me, collected their postcards and calenders just to admire the photography. "Singapore Girl" would come to mean more than that though and become an icon of both an airline and a country.

"The Singapore Girl
The personalization of the Singapore Airlines brand is the mixed male and female cabin crew, where especially the flight stewardesses commonly referred to as Singapore Girls have become very well-known. SIA engaged French haute-couture designer Pierre Balmain at the inauguration of the airline in 1972. He designed a special version of the Malay sarong kebaya as the uniform which later became one of the most recognized signatures of the airline. A very designated and visual part of the entire brand experience.

The Singapore Girl strategy turned out to be a very powerful idea and has become a successful brand icon with an almost mythical status and aura around her. The Singapore Girl encapsulates Asian values and hospitality, and could be described as caring, warm, gentle, elegant and serene. It is a brilliant personification of SIA's commitment to service and quality excellence. The icon has become so strong that Madame Tussaud's Museum in London started to display the Singapore Girl in 1994 as the first commercial figure ever.

Singapore Airlines also runs one of the most comprehensive and rigorous training programs for cabin and flight crew in the industry to make sure the SIA brand experience is fully and consistently delivered.

The social status of the Singapore Girl has also reached near-celebrity in Asia. This has allowed Singapore Airlines to be highly selective in the recruiting process for talent which has added further to the strength of the brand icon and the myth around it. "

(Extracted from allaboutbranding.com)




Last month, SIA announced that it was possibly bringing to an end their 35 year relationship with Batey Ads and invited other ad agencies to submit proposals and make bids for the future. This sparked speculation that the "Singapore Girl" may fade into history.

Critics say that "Singapore Girl" has gone on too long, that it is sexist and dated. The image projected of the "sub-servient Asian woman stereotype" is offensive according to several women's groups.

Supporters, of which there are many, counter by saying that it is actually a celebration of womanhood and represents qualities of warmth and hospitality. They also note the success of the campaign and urge SIA "not to fix what ain't broke". When news of the possible change of ad agency was announced, more than 3000 emails from around the world was sent within two days in support of continuing the "Singapore Girl".


What would be your advice to Singapore Airlines?

Feeling Blue

Very often, after or even during some holiday or festival season, I get the blues. In the midst of the merry making, I often get retrospective. However, this Valentine's Day was exceptionally bad for real.

Although, my wife and I do not go in to the hype that is Valentine's Day but we would still like to spend it together. Unfortunately, this year, my wife had to work till past midnight and we were unable to spend the day together. And then, ....there was trouble at work.

I supervise about 30 people at work. I try to be a good boss. It's something that I put a lot of effort into and take seriously. My understanding of being a good boss, has to do with leading by example, treating everyone with mutual respect, refering to them as colleagues and not subordinates, and mentoring the weaker ones as well as fighting for their welfare. So, the winds disappeared from my sails when I discovered on Valentine's day that one of them had written a poison pen letter about me.

So I am feeling blue at the moment. I am in a blue phase and a blue place.....which is why I chose this stark blue picture above. Of course for me, the best thing to do when I have the blues is to take a long walk in the cold or in the rain and to come to a place like that shown in the picture. It helps me re-focus and realise that the world goes on. Occasional soul searching is good for the soul. It's like checking the compass during a sea-squall to see if the boat is still true to course and before long, fine weather and sunshine reappears.

(I stumbled on this picture and I do not know where it originally came from and so am unable to credit the photographer but I credit God for creating it.)

Penguin, Polar Bear and Pranks

"For once, do something spectacular in your life,.....then run for it."

Credit to Will & Guy's Pictures

I'd like to thank my blogging friends for cheering me up today. As a treat, I present something without squirrels. I invite you to think of other appropriate, imaginative, inspirational or plain funny captions.