Updates and things

Good Evening, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Static. I wasn't really sure what I wanted to call it, so I used a place-holder until I could make up my mind.

Another few courses have come and gone, each more challenging than the last. Right now, my brain is screaming for mercy! I don't dare let up tonight or tomorrow, though.

The past week has been anything but boring; A friend of mine is in the middle of a move. Hopefully, she is getting settled in by now. A couple of days ago, we even had an earthquake: A small one, but my area of the country isn't used to those beasties! The cats hid for quite a while afterwards, though they did creep out for dinner.

And now for the real reason for my hurry; A hurricane is headed my way. To be specific, Hurricane Irene. I've no idea if we will even have power when she passes, so I have to get as much done as I can before she hits. The size of the reading assignments isn't helping: I've been gnawing my way through some four chapters of textbook, large chapters at that. I also have at least that many items to read from the college site.

I will keep you posted as things develop. Wish me luck, Gentle Readers!

Until We Meet...

Mirror Image?

Good Afternoon, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is a fractal by Ron Venable that he titled Happy New Year! I thought it quite appropriate, and extremely cheerful.

I've got one more item to turn in for the school- but that won't take long, considering how it is- or is going to be- almost identical to an assignment I turned in a year ago. I do have to say I wonder about some of the school's staff; I point out to them that this stuff they're presenting is identical to what I saw in my first course here, but they try to tell me that it is only similar. Sorry, ladies and gentlemen; I could quote some of those passages. About all that's really different is the way that it's used. Considering how the course is compressed, that may be enough of a difference- but I don't like people trying to brush me off like that.

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

Cool School?

Good Morning, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is a rerun from about a year ago titled Christmas Circles. I named it that because of the color scheme: Red, white, blue, and green. Since it doesn't have snow or trees in it, I didn't relegate it to the holiday-only file. But I thought it was seasonal.

Believe it not, it has warmed up just a hair today- Just enough to melt a little bit more of the ice off. I'm not betting on it lasting too long, though; There is supposed to be a chance of snow-showers tonight. I can believe it; The clouds are hanging low overhead, though they're not positively black like some of the storm clouds I did see during the spring and summer.

I got a call from the college yesterday. For once, it wasn't about a new monkey wrench in the financial aid; It was to inform me that I had succeeded in earning my associate's degree! I'm sitting here panting; A couple of those courses, especially the last ones, were scary.

The courses from here on out are going to be compressed a bit, which does concern me somewhat. But it will be based on courses I had taken before, only a practical application of them instead of just the theory. We shall see what happens.

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

Back To The Old Grind

Good Morning, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Future Gazing. I thought it appropriate for the kind of focused-lens effect I managed to get here, though I didn't get the flames as I wanted them. Still, I did get sparks where I didn't really expect them, and that makes up for it.

I was presented with an interesting challenge last night. A friend found a coat of arms for her husband's family but the lines were too blurred to really be presentable, and the text was worse. She couldn't do anything with it in Basic Paint, so she asked me to see what I could do, since I do toy with Paint Shop Pro. Ideally, she would have talked with someone with access to a program like Photoshop, but neither of us know anyone like that. One thing I did that seemed to help was use the sharpen and enhance tools. However, when I tried just one too many applications of that, the image started looking like a soap-bubble rainbow- so I had to back up just a hair.

The sharpening and enhancing didn't help with the text at all. Worse still, when I tried to erase it, I found a bright blue background behind the surface that didn't belong in the image at all! Again, I had to back up. I then tried using the dropper to pick up the color I did want, and used that as a kind of digital white-out. That was much more effective, and I was able to re-create the text far more legibly.

In the middle of that, I was looking at one of my end-of-term projects, and found I could use work I had done in a previous assignment to help with it. Of course, the first thing I did was look for the document in question. Oops! It wasn't where it should be, though I could have sworn I had done it! I laughed when I realized what had happened; I had indeed done the assignment while on vacation, so the document I want was on my flash drive rather than my main computer. What a relief! What's even better is that the assignment took care of the item that I would have had trouble with in the project.

Well, folks- It's back to the old grind for another week.

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

Where did THAT come from?

Good Morning, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Spotlights. As usual, it didn't quite come out as planned. I think I know what went wrong and how to fix it, though. Meanwhile, I thought something cheerful was in order.

I took a look at the rest of my required reading for the week for Geology- and I gawked! Three more chapters to go! Still, the geology chapters tend to be shorter than those for accounting, so that won't be too painful. It's even possible that a couple of them are required for next week; That has happened a lot during this block of classes. Time to invoke the Power of the Pad!

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

Finding Knowledge

Good Morning, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Cats' Eyes. It's not exactly a cat's eye marble, there being several inclusions in the main figure But the shape of the inclusions is the same, and I did use a disolve figure to give a bit of a speckled effect.

Last night while I was taking notes, I noticed that a lot of the stuff I was noting was already included in previous reading. That doesn't mean I stinted, of course; I was very careful not to just in case I missed something earlier! But it does mean that the language isn't quite as alien as it used to be.

I am going to have to find out about the rocks where I live; I need it both for a project and for an assignment. I've been finding it very difficult to find what I want, though I can find all kinds of stuff that dances around the issue!

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

Between Classes?

Good Morning, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Ice In Fire. I originally intended to try for a red, white, and blue fire picture with this, but I changed my mind when I saw how the blue sections curved together in a circle. I'll need to decide what to do about the background before I do the flames anyway, since they are of such disparate colors.

The final exam in Algebra should be available today; At least, that's what the calendar showed last night. Hopefully the practice problems will help; I was not at all pleased with some of my last quiz scores! I did hesitate less on the practice pages than I had before, so I think the extra study is having an effect.

I also opened up an accounting text to start taking notes. While the course won't start for a few more weeks, I decided that I needed all the head start I could get. So far, I've been pleasantly surprised: The first 12 pages were largely reviews of items I had learned in my previous business classes. On the last couple of pages, I did start seeing formulas- But even those weren't complete strangers. I'm still not easy about the spread sheets, but I'm not having a phobic reaction!

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

Work- faint-thud!

Good Afternoon, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Sunglow. I used a sunburst floodfill for the background, then one of my other filters for the object in the front. Usually I don't use sunbursts that often, but there are times when that changes.

Wow! I got that power-point done last night and hit the sack. While I won't say I slept soundly (It was too hot to really do that), I did stay down far longer than I expected to. While I was waking up, I got to thinking that I may have to rewrite at least part of my end-of-term project. That's no problem: I have plenty of time yet for that. For the rest of this psychology course, I should be golden otherwise. Now I can focus more attention on the economics course.

Wish me luck, Gentle Readers!

Until we meet...

Someone stop me!

Good Morning, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is Soft Golden Heart. I knew there was a way to use deformations and bezier lines to create heart shapes, so I spent the last couple of days trying to figure out how to deliberately do so. As you can see, it didn't always work- But the results were still well worth saving.

You may remember yesterday that I was in some panic over all the papers I had to finish. Well, lo and behold, my Psychology end-of-term is done! As is an essay that is due tomorrow. After I finished that essay, I promised myself no more studying and school stuff for the day. But what happens? I turn right around and open a program to start the power-point presentation I have due next week! That was the item that scared me worst, but not after I took another look at it.

So I have the next couple of weeks for psychology largely out of the way, and I just have to finish with economics now. Fortunately, I have a couple of spare days to watch the lectures and read texts for that.

Until we meet, Gentle Readers...

Papers here, papers there, papers everywhere!

Good Morning, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is Summer Starting. Of course, for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, summer has been going on for some time- and a steamy one it has been too! You may recognize the basic technique I used here. To that, I added a little bit of rotation. I may try that again with another image in the future; It does present possibilities.

I spent much of last night working on an end-of-term paper, but I suspect I will have to put finishing it on hold for a bit. The essay I see coming up won't be much of a problem, but the power-point presentation is another matter, along with the speaker's notes- which the professor will wish to see as properly annotated. That's the breaks, I guess!

Until we meet, Gentle Readers...

Home Stretch

Good Morning, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Second Dawn Pentagon. There is a bit of a story behind it- But I will say I made this especially for a friend who had run into some pretty scary difficulties. He seems to be feeling better now.

Last night, I looked at next week's reading for my psychology class- and gawked. I have only four more chapters to read from my text, and I spent most of last night taking notes from one of them onto my yellow pad, while placing more for my end-of-term project in my head. I'll have to do more writing, of course- But that is a good thing, considering what it is. I suppose I should set up a separate document to list my references on, like I did with a project for one of my last courses. That did make it a lot easier to keep things alphabetized, rather than trying to do it all at once.

Do I get to do a faint-thud yet?

Until we meet, Gentle Readers...

Under The Wire!

Good Morning, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Glowing Ellipses. For once, I managed to contrast yellow against the blue/purple spectrum without either appearing to be washed out. While I did have to use outlines to keep the coloring where I wanted it, overall I'm very happy with the results.

Talk about sliding in under the wire! I got an assignment done and turned in with just minutes to spare last night! To be fair, though, I spent most of the day working on another item and investigating things for the other class's end-of-term project. At least I've got a fairly good idea now where to go for some of the information I want! I'm going to pat myself on the back too; I think I've finally got a handle on reference-making for the reference page on my reports. Now to finish getting that handle on the in-text stuff...

Wish me luck, Gentle Readers!

Until we meet...

Psyching Myself up for Psychology

Good Morning, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is Red, White, and Blue Gumdrops. This isn't the image I originally intended to post today; I have to find out where it went. But in light of the recent holiday, I thought it was appropriate.

Boy do I have my hands full this week! I have to write not one but TWO papers about federal bodies that influence the housing market, and tons of stuff to do for my psychology class. I did manage to get a decent start on one of the housing papers, fortunately. But I'm not looking forward to the rest! Enough of that; Wishing isn't going to make the work go away. So, Gangway!

Until we meet, Gentle Readers...

Study innovations

Good Morning, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Green Spark and Lacing. I was doing some work with lines, distortions, and flood-fills when I came up with this. I may try something similar with another set of colors later, and do something different about the lines; The flat color against the light like this doesn't seem quite as appealing. But it does show what can be done.

Four-Hundred posts today! Well over a year of rambling about whatever came to mind, including even a few rants. I really don't rant that often: Rants are a dime a dozen, and there are some people who are better at it than I am.

Speaking of graphics, I was quite busy with them last night. There is a lady who had asked me to help her with algebra studies, and I've created a few items that just might help. One reason normal text doesn't seem to work with her is that it all looks like a bunch of little black squiggles to her. So the thing to do is take the equations apart and present them in a way that they are easier to see. It does work, but I think I'll wait a while now; It has been a while since I've practiced advanced Algebra. I can start again once she starts getting her assignments for that.

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

Back to School...

Good Afternoon, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Portal. When I first made it, that's about what the egg in the middle looked like to me- Though admittedly, a portal being approached from an unusual angle.

Today, I'm going back to talking about school. I have only one more assignment that is actually due this week- But doing it depends on what the other students do, since I'm supposed to write a critique on someone else's essay. I can't say I really enjoy that much, especially if I find I have to be the bearer of bad news about someone else's writing. However, it is good practice for when I have to do similar things with my business. Certainly I have disposed of images that weren't up to my standards before!

Next, I need to take more notes about the final projects and start putting them together. I'm thinking that I would do well to invoke the Power of the Yellow Pad early this time, instead of waiting until the heat is on.

Speaking of the Yellow Pads- It took long enough, but I think soon I'll have to break out some new ones. Oddly enough, my husband found a ten-pack of them lurking in the bottom of a box just a few weeks ago. He commented to me about how we seemed to have a premonition that it would be needed. I don't know that it was that, but it sure is useful now!

Until we meet, Gentle Readers...

Switched assignments?

Good Morning, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is called Divisions. I had used the especial filters in this image before, but the results are incredibly unpredictable. For instance, I didn't expect that bright green at all!

I took a look last night at the assignment I have to turn in for the economics class. It seems to be based on last week's reading- which makes me wonder why it wasn't required then. Some might be tempted to yell, "No Fair!" But I do think the switching around is a good way to make sure the student is paying attention instead of just letting the material go in one ear and out the other. Still, I will have to go re-read some of last week's stuff. At least I still have breathing space for that!

Until we meet, Gentle Readers...