Is it about the camera gear? I have plenty of images by by less-gear-obsessed wife, friends, and even my old snaps that might prove otherwise. A good setup might make it easier to create the kinds of images one would like, but is certainly not the end-all of photography.

“That looks like a nice camera, I bet it takes great photos!”

Enjoy the weekend!

From Mr. Tom Jones (Manager of Myspace).

Myspace system is getting too crowded!! [too "lets try and copy FaceBook features," maybe, it's been crowded with junk for years] We need you to forward this to at least 20 people. . . If you do not send this to at least 10 Myspace members, we will delete your account. [did we forget our original number was 20 already?]

WARNING!

We want to find out which users are actually using their Myspace accounts. So if you are using your account, please pass this email to every Myspace user that you can. IF YOU DO NOT PASS this letter to anyone [not 20 or 10 any more, just anyoone??] we will delete your account.

Sorry for this inconvenience.
[you should be. your number scheme is confusing!]

-Tom

The best part of this hoax – Tom *Jones* runs myspace?
I wish! It would probably have a theme song like this:

It’s not unusual to hang out too much online.
It’s not unusual to get spammed at any time.
If I see you comment on my friend’s pix another time
There will be drama without a warning sign!
You’ll wanna die.

It’s not unusual to get dumped at any time
If you’re tagged in friends’ pix that aren’t mine!
If you should ever want a comment on your blog
Post bulletins and beg just like a dog

It’s not unusual it happens every day
No matter what you say
You’ll see PC4PC all the time
Real friends will never do
Sparkly comments to you
Who are those lousy friends of mine!

It’s not unusual to be mad with anyone
You’ve never met but hate their reply’s opinion.
If you should ever feel like acting your age
You’ll have to first log out
or use your teen kid’s page.

No matter what you say
Hatemail all the way
And constant whining about life…

Thank you, good night.

Tom Jones’ best cameo:

(if no video shows click HERE to see one of my favorite Carlton Banks song & dances)

Wow. I caught this video following Zack Arias‘ blog.

For those of you outside the photography world, this week is the WPPI (Wedding and Portrait Photographers International) convention in Vegas. Yes, warm Vegas. Shiny, warm, not Indiana Vegas where rock star photographers show you shiny new books, cameras, software and toys related to making you an awesome photographer. Everyone pats each other on the back and has sparkles in their teeth when they smile. They’re all booked for a year straight and still have time to travel the globe and make awesome photos, albums, software, and…….

It’s my week of skipping almost every single blog post, Twitter tweet, and email news update from these photographers because one stuck in a rainy, snowy gray Indiana can be quickly overwhelmed at reading “this is so awesome” so many times a day while feeling totally left out of the fun. (And I’m pretty sure it’s marketed that way on purpose.)

And in this winter funk… much needed inspiration and reminders to push on have come over and over in the last week. This one sums it up best. Enjoy.

If you don’t see this video check it here http://blip.tv/file/1785698/

Years back I set up shipping accounts for shipping all kinds of goodies in eBay auctions. I worked in shipping and receiving for a while before being shipped out to live on a ship. I like logistics.

One of the sites that makes keeping track of our album orders, customer orders, eBay goodies and things boxed and stamped in general from pretty much any carrier delivering in the US is TrackThePack.com

Today I saw this unusually fun list of European cities one of my boxes is visiting, and I’m jealous.

Any guesses? It’ll be here this week… expect a big announcement soon!

One photographer replied that the buffet is her favorite Chinese Restaurant. It didn’t occur to me till I began a reply that my favorite Chinese restaurant is directly across the parking lot. So how, then do two similar restaurants stay in business? Here’s my reply that got ME thinking while I wrote it.

- – - – -

Should you get the chance, drive, walk or take a rickshaw across the New China parking lot north toward Ireland Road and walk downstairs to China Garden. Same great fried goodness, less sitting-in-a-buffet-bin texture. Order your food, not scoop it.

Disclaimer: Sara and I frequent China Garden. Probably 25% of the time that we have their food we order it carry out. We’re hooked. I won’t pass up a buffet meal with friends or family, but given the choice between these two Chinese restaurants within a fortune cookie’s throw of each other, I’ll be found at China Garden.

Small business lesson here? Two restaurants, pretty much same ingredients. Two different approaches to serving similar* foods.

Differences?

New China / Buffet: (Been there at least since 1998)

• U-Scoop – eat as much as your digestive system allows.
• One price and you get everything in the bins
• Great to try different dishes that at your leisure, good for picky eaters too.
• Staff takes payment and takes away dirty plates
• Conversation: Hi how many?” and “Are you done with that plate?”

China Garden / Sit-down: (25+ years in business including restarting after a building fire)

• A greeting where, if followed by “How many?” is to determine your party size not your order total upon entry
• Meal courses (appetizer, entree, dessert) served individually and not all available simultaneously. Timed delivery keeps the food coming a portion at a time.
• Portions are generous and I often take home leftovers
• Servers take your order at table, bring food, and in most of my experiences there, conversation.
• Did I mention an experience?

My first time eating at China Garden with Sara was not long after her mother had passed away, not two months into my dating days with Sara. When we arrived the staff asked how Sara was and how her family was doing. When Sara told our waitress that her mother had recently passed, the waitress broke into tears. I didn’t realize how long Sara’s family had been visiting the Garden and how they had gotten to know the staff.

Their chef, Jimmy, has come out to our table to see how our meal was (always tasty!). The exact date escapes me but within the last year or so he lost his wife. More than once he’s had conversations with us and with Sara’s dad about lost loved ones.

Once the fried goodness digests and tiredness subsides, what are you left with? A rumbling stomach, perhaps. Smelling like deep fried Chinese food, most certainly. What’s the experience that will get you talking?

What’s your business’ experience that will get your customers talking?

* Foods similar to American tastebuds and relatively safe to assume isn’t intestines, dog, or anything too “weird” for Americans to eat. Fellow China travelers can you agree?

PS This is certainly my most introspective and cohesive Tuesday Thoughts post yet. Thanks for reading.

While checking messages as the coffee brewed I read my friend Jon’s post that fit today’s early start perfectly. Creative work in spurts. I think it’s a similar reason why if I get up before sunrise I can’t seem to go back to sleep. Last month we had two weekends of late Friday shoots and early Saturday morning salon starts, and I woke up energized both Saturdays. Energized while not getting much sleep and still waking up early. Creative adrenaline.

So now that you’re up, what gets you going with creativity? What wakes you up and you can’t wait to start doing, thinking, reading?