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Archive - May 2007 National Cancer Survivors Day Art Show - Titusville Florida @ Parrish Medical CenterPosted May-23-07 08:45:16 PDT National Cancer Survivors Day Art Show @ Parrish Medical Center - Titusville, FL
National Cancer Survivors Day - 2007 I have been invited to participate in a local exhibit that is meeting up with a national traveling exhibit of art that has been done by cancer survivors. This event will be held on June 3rd 2007 at Parrish Medical Center in Titusville, Florida and is sponsored by the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly. The exhibit will contain 50 pieces of artwork and my participation will consist of 20 - 25 photographs and a multi-media slide presentation I have assembled. I have also been asked to deliver a short talk. See the flyers on my photo page for details. Guests must RSVP either with the hospital or myself. If you like, the slide show features most of the photography that you can view on my website. Check me out at My SpacePosted May-21-07 07:45:44 PDT Apollo Astronaut John Young to visit Titusville, Florida to open Apollo MonumentPosted May-20-07 08:09:53 PDT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Charlie Mars or Karen Conklin at 321-264-0434
APOLLO MOONWALKER JOHN YOUNG TO APPEAR IN TITUSVILLE THURSDAY
TITUSVILLE, Fla. (May 20, 2007) -- Legendary astronaut John Young -- a veteran of NASA's Gemini, Apollo and Space Shuttle programs -- will make a public appearance in Titusville this week to mark a major milestone in the construction of a monument to Project Apollo.
Young -- who has been launched into space six times; seven, if you count one launch from the lunar surface -- will join local officials and dignitaries at the city's Space View Park at the corner of Orange Avenue and Indian River Avenue beginning at 10:30 a.m. EST, Thursday, May 24.
"We're very honored to have an American hero join us as we mark the beginning of final assembly of the Apollo monument in the city of Titusville," said Charlie Mars, President of the U.S. Space Walk of Fame Foundation and Space Museum.
A former Navy captain who retired from NASA in 2006, Young flew as pilot of Gemini 3, commander of Gemini 10, command module pilot of Apollo 10 and commander of Apollo 16, STS-1 and STS-7.
Representatives of major aerospace companies and retired employees who worked on the Saturn 5 Moon rocket and other Apollo hardware also will be in attendance.
Based on NASA's official emblem for Project Apollo, the new monument will feature a stainless steel "A" with a bronze Moon and Earth mounted to the cross stroke of the letter. A bronze bust of President John F. Kennedy will be part of the display, as will 12 bronze panels that depict how Apollo carried astronauts to the Moon and back.
Total cost of the project is $500,000, of which about another $150,000 still must be raised by the 501 (c) 3 non-profit, volunteer foundation.
The U. S. Space Walk of Fame Foundation was created by the city of Titusville, Fla., in 1992 to honor space history primarily by placing monuments along the Indian River in plain sight of the historic Apollo and Shuttle launch pads at Kennedy Space Center
Space View Park was created and is maintained by the city of Titusvile, while the monuments are the responsibilit of the Space Walk of Fame.
A monument to Project Mercury was unveiled in 1995, while the main structure for a Project Gemini monument was completed in 1997 and the overall display finished in 2003.
In January 2002 the Foundation began operating a Space Museum, which is now located 4 Main Street in downtown Titusville.
Please note that for Thursday's event no autographs will be available from Mr. Young.
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Designs for the Apollo Monument can be viewed at www.spacewalkoffame.com
Web TrafficPosted May-17-07 11:01:28 PDT Check out the following: Places where I hang out and volunteer...
The first and only Walk in the nation that honors America's astronauts as well as the men and women behind the scenes who helped America lead the world in space exploration and accomplishments. The Space Walk is one of the major components of a redevelopment master plan professionally designed for Titusville's urban waterfront. The master plan includes a riverwalk running the length of the waterfront that has been designated as the "U.S. Space Walk of Fame". Connecting four major waterfront parks and providing public access along the riverfront, the Space Walk will consist of a promenade composed of walkways, seating areas, railings and lighting. The components will include educational and interpretive stations that explore the specific achievements of individuals and events in a fashion that allows the space message to be communicated to the casual passerby, student groups and visitors who are at the waterfront to witness a launch. The featured elements will be documented through the use of interpretive plaques, public art, sculptures and bronze markers set into the walkways and wall treatments. In addition to the outdoor space displays, the riverwalk will provide public viewing areas of the launch pads enveloped in the panoramic setting of the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge. Thus, the U.S. Space Walk of Fame will be a tribute to the men and women who worked to make America's space program a reality, creating a cosmic journey which will touch the lives of all mankind. The U.S. Space Walk of Fame Foundation and Museum Museum ~ 4 Main St. Titusville, Fl 32796 ~ Phone - Office: (321) 264-0434 Mailing Address ~ P. O. Box 6385 ~ Titusville, FL 32782-6385 Titusville, Florida
http://www.nbbd.com/godo/history/index.html - The North Brevard Historical Society
What’s the best way to get great ebay photos and images?Posted May-03-07 19:51:27 PDT What’s the best way to get great ebay photos and images?
I believe in putting great images or at least the best images I can, of the items I have for sale. I am of the opinion that the better the photo or scan the more enticing the item is and the more confident the potential buyer is in bidding.
This philosophy has served me well, but I am not the typical ebay seller. I am not here to get rich. I have many items that if not for ebay would simply be thrown away for lack of space. Through ebay I am able to unite a buyer with an item that he/she really wants, likes or needs.
I tend to put more photos/scans of my items on my listing pages than some others. Along with the best description I can give, I think that this helps my sales average. I am currently running about a 60 to 75% sales rate of total items offered. Yes this costs more, but for me it works.
So on to photos and scans.
For my paper items such as postcards, menus, currency, and other items I use my flatbed scanner. I have an Epson Perfection 4180 Photo scanner. Here are the specifications of this unit.
One only needs to look at some of my item listings to see the resolution gained from this unit. I think it is a real advantage especially when adding super-sized images. I am continually surprised at the results. Another ability of a flatbed scanner that is constantly overlooked is its ability to scan a somewhat 3 dimensional object. If you look at my listings numbered 110118195921, 110117976440 and 110119479248 you will see that a surprising amount of depth of field can be obtained from a scanner. Yes it is limited but it costs nothing to try and you just might be surprised. The only problem I have is that some items just don’t fit on the scanner glass. Oh well, I try to do the best I can.
The second way to get great ebay images is of course with a digital camera. Everyone is somewhat familiar with these so I won’t go into a lot of detail but the main problem people have is with the flash. A small digital camera with the flash a few centimeters away from the lens is never going to yield the best results.
I realize that not every ebay seller can afford or wants to buy a digital SLR so another way to get great photos is to use a light tent. A light tent is a plastic dome you place your item in and you place lights around to diffuse the lighting minimizing shadows. Many pro photographers use this technique on items from jewelry to automobiles.
Some fatal flaws I see in ebay photos or scans. Well, I see a few. I am always surprised at the number of items I look at to consider bidding on that contain out of focus photos. Out of focus photos do not help sell the item as I feel it causes the potential buyer to hesitate.
Another oversight I see a great deal is distracting backgrounds. This takes away from the item being offered. Try draping a medium colored sheet or blanket (no pattern) under the item and behind the item. This also helps your camera’s exposure meter give a better reading. For a while I used several 18 inch square floor tiles as a background. I laid two on the floor and leaned two against the wall. This worked fairly well.
One last oops - some folks forget to watch the light balance on their cameras. You will get better results sometimes by turning off the flash and using the tungsten setting and using some form of free standing or overhead lighting.
If scanning, take the time to make the item as square on the scanner as possible. I have taped to my scanner a few microscope slides so each item is registered in the same place. This gives me a square corner to work from and they are clear so if a bit shows it does not distract.
A brief note on photo editing software. I never, I repeat NEVER use photo editing software to alter an image. I will use it to make an item appear square if the camera alters it and I will use it to lighten a dark image or darken a light one, but it is never used to enhance an item. That would be deceitful and wrong.
I hope this helps or inspires some of you out there in ebay land to try some new ways of putting images into your listings. As a photographer it is just a natural extension of me and I enjoy this part of the ebay experience. Some of you will have to experiment and work at it. Don’t give up and keep striving.
Thanks for reading and Good Luck!! Ed Collecting Antique Paperback NovelsPosted May-02-07 19:19:46 PDT I thought that I would post a column from a paper that I wrote for years ago as the information is still valid. The column was on the fun to be had collecting antique paperback novels. There are many reasons one may decide to collect books. To acquire all of a favorite author’s works, for a specific genre, Movie tie in's, for their cover artwork or just simply for the love of reading and/or for the books themselves. I have collected books for their own sake, and also for the aforementioned reasons. As the former owner of a used bookstore, I can attest first hand to the allure that old books have. There are as many different types of books as there are types of people who read them. I personally enjoy two areas of collectable paperbacks. The first are first edition paperbacks, and the second, which happens to be more difficult, is the paperbacks with the more lurid appeal which cross many questionable or unsavory topics, ranging from sex, drugs, illicit relationships, criminal activity and many other taboo subjects. The cover art on these particular books can range from wonderful to tasteless. These “taboo” novels were popular in the 1950’s and early 60’s. Paperbacks started out being published on a newsprint type paper called pulp. Many famous artists and authors wrote these “pulps” to pay the bills while waiting for the recognition of their serious work and many used assumed names. Some early paperbacks are valuable due to the eventual discovery of popular artists who did such cover artwork under a pen name, and also the authors themselves. Other paperback books, are valuable for other reasons. One type was the war release editions, called Armed Service Editions. These were paperbacks given to the soldiers during the Second World War. They were often stamped as such, and were numbered editions. The most noticeable characteristic was the paper. It was much thinner than in paperbacks before the war due to the rationing efforts. The books were sent overseas to help with morale. There are about as many places to find valuable paperbacks, as there are paperbacks. Many hideouts are obvious such as yard sales and flea markets, but some take a little more effort to find. One of my favorite places is The Salvation Army Store, not only do they usually have large quantities of older unwanted books, it is nice to help out such an organization. Antique shops and bookstores are also two reliable places to find collectable paperbacks, but be prepared to pay a little to a great deal more as most dealers are at least somewhat familiar with the market. A little patience goes far in this hobby. Before you run right out and start buying every paperback you can find, it is best to do some research first. Think about your likes and interests and then pick up a few pricing guides to educate yourself about collecting books. Topics such as grading the condition of books, edition's, cover artwork and others are usually covered in great detail in each price guide, but price guides can vary widely on values and condition. Two price guides that I rely on for my collection are, “Hancer’s Price Guide to Paperback Books” by Kevin Hancer and “The Official Price Guide, Paperbacks” by Jon Warren. I feel that using two such sources allows me to calculate both an upper and lower value for a particular book. Mostly I collect old books for fun, and the occasional hope that someday I may find some books with someone’s forgotten secret stash of loot. I have also included some photographs to show you some of my favorites from my collection. The photos illustrate some of the different areas of collecting old paperback books. “Blood on Her Shoe”, and “Of Missing Persons”, are both mystery novels. They are valued at approx. $15.00 and $45.00. “Stiletto” by Harold Robbins, and “The Hard Way” are both romance/adventure novels. Be cautious! Even though the Harold Robbins novel says first edition, I have two identical copies; one is the ninth printing, the other is the twelfth printing. Be sure to read the printing history inside the first few pages. “Strictly Business” is a PBO, or paperback original. This means that this edition was the first ever printing of the novel. It is valued at approx. $10.00. “The Little Black Book”, is also a PBO, and is valued at Approx. $18.00. Both of these examples show the type of cover art and subject matter popular of the “taboo subjects” of the late fifties and early sixties. I hope I have given some incentive for you to look twice at those old books in grandma’s attic before you just dump them off at the curb, or sell them in a baker’s dozen at your next yard sale! Good collecting! |
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