Military Checkpoint Tip!

[skiphunt]

Hey, here's a tip for ya... if you'e riding in Mexico and get tired of all the military checkpoints, opening your bags, showing passport, permit, questions about drugs and arms, etc.... Just ask the military dude if after his inspection you can take a photo of him on your bike. He'll be THRILLED and there will be no inspection. Just a quick snap and they just wave you on your way. Just make sure you say "OK" if he asks to try on your helmet too.

Here's a photo I shot of myself on the Baja. I was just getting ready to ride into the storm you see in the background, but missed most of it. I can't tell you just how ethereal the desert smells in the Northern baja just after a rain. The closest I can come to it is... imagine if the Mother of God were to be primping her holy self for a night at the opera... the perfume she'd wear might smell very similar to that intoxicating fragrance that rises from a freshly showered North Baja desert.

The fluid in the water jug is gasoline... didn't take a proper gas can with me, but it worked out just fine. Unfortunately, I didn't quite get the hang of pouring gas from a water just into my gas tank until about the 3rd try. Most of the gas just washed right over my entire tank and tank bag.

If you haven't seen it already, you can read up on my last Mex/Baja trip at this blog: http://www.poppinfreshmedia.com/skipmexmc.html

 

[Tourmeister]

Hey Skip!

Still no word on when and where your next adventure will be taking you?

I figured out why I like so many of your pics. You have a knack for getting the lighting just right. I think most people spend little, if any, time thinking about the lighting, where it is coming from, how bright it is in relation to the subject matter and other parts of the composition. They just point and shoot. I have been trying to work on that in my own photos lately in addition to the subject matter composition. I'm just never happy with my shots

 

[VFRJohn]

How in the world can your bike be so clean on a trip like that??

 

[scratch]

...people spend little, if any, time thinking about the lighting, where it is coming from, how bright it is in relation to the subject matter and other parts of the composition. They just point and shoot. I have been trying to work on that in my own photos lately in addition to the subject matter composition. I'm just never happy with my shots

I was thinking the same thing recently after taking a shot of Doug Smith on Hwy 90 (posted elsewhere here) where I was shooting into the sun, making Doug look completely washed-out in the foreground. Had I thought to use the flash, or reposition myself in relation to the sun and the subject, I could have captured a much better image. Not Skip-quality mind you, but at least not totally lousy.

 

[Sleepy Weasel]

How in the world can your bike be so clean on a trip like that??

Because it all sticks to Skip. In that second pic he looks really old but he's actually only 23.

 

[skiphunt]

Hey Skip!

Still no word on when and where your next adventure will be taking you?

I figured out why I like so many of your pics. You have a knack for getting the lighting just right. I think most people spend little, if any, time thinking about the lighting, where it is coming from, how bright it is in relation to the subject matter and other parts of the composition. They just point and shoot. I have been trying to work on that in my own photos lately in addition to the subject matter composition. I'm just never happy with my shots

No big ones planned yet. I REALLY need to get my KLR serviced before I go anywhere. And, since I kept my vehicle permit for Mexico and have to turn it in before the 180 days are up.. I'll likely take a short 2-3week jaunt to the border and over to Copper Canyon, or the other direction to Veracruz to see if I can find Mel Gibson's "Apocolyptc" movie set.

Photos... yes, I'm paying attention to the quality of light and it's direction pretty much everyday and during ALL of my waking hours. If it doesn't look aesthetically pleasing.. I generally don't even shoot. It's not unusual for me to go through an entire week of traveling without shooting a single image if the light isn't right. Thanks for the compliment! It's my gift, AND curse, ie. I can't look at ANYTHING without subconsciously evaluating how it would translate into a still image.

 

[skiphunt]

How in the world can your bike be so clean on a trip like that??

That shot was taken just off the highway when I was on my way toward the off-road turn-off toward Coco's Corner.. which was 24km of mostly mud. A day or two prior to this image being taken, the cleaning woman at the hotel I stayed at had some old towels and a bucket of soapy water she loaned me to clean my bike. It was still pretty new so it was killing me to see all that road grime, desert dust, flug chain lube, mud, etc. Lame, yes. But I'm one of those dimwits who like pretty shiny things.

 

[skiphunt]

I was thinking the same thing recently after taking a shot of Doug Smith on Hwy 90 (posted elsewhere here) where I was shooting into the sun, making Doug look completely washed-out in the foreground. Had I thought to use the flash, or reposition myself in relation to the sun and the subject, I could have captured a much better image. Not Skip-quality mind you, but at least not totally lousy.

Sounds like you're well on your way! But, you might just get a basic photo technique book with some tutorials. Most of photography is REALLY basic. You don't even really need a class. Just get some basic book, then take LOADS of photos. Study photography you like, then try to figure out how to emulate it.

 

[Tourmeister]

It's my gift, AND curse, ie. I can't look at ANYTHING without subconsciously evaluating how it would translate into a still image.

I have a similar issue, but it relates to structures, stresses and flow of energy. I can't look at much of anything without thinking about how it is put together, what kinds of loads it must be experiencing, how it handles those loads, energy boundary layers and points of disconnect, etc,... I do it when I am looking at buildings, other man made structures, plants, bugs, you name it. At times, I really wish I could just turn it off and see something without analyzing it. With deliberate effort, I can do so to a degree, to simply experience the thing seen instead of disecting it. But then, there are times because of my way of seeing things that I can appreciate an aesthetic in something others might see as not being worth considering. I learned a long time ago to pretty much keep my thoughts about such things to myself as many seem to lack a similar appreciation and just get annoyed or roll their eyes when I point out stuff that I notice. I don't pretend to be any kind of genius as I have met too many other nerds with similar issues

I think that there are those that are truly gifted above and beyond the ordinary, but for most people, it is simply a lack of awareness and training. They do not "see" things because they do not know to look for them. Something can be right under their nose and they are totally oblivious to it. This is where education makes the difference. Getting an engineering background gave me the formal understanding of what I knew intuitively. A law degree allows me to see and understand issues I never knew existed. The personal study of philosophy and theology have opened up a way of seeing hitherto unexplored. Of course the major downside of this is that I can't watch much sci-fi, TV drama or shows dealing with philosophical issues without getting annoyed at the shows for their shallow and superficial presentation of the issues involved

From a sociological point of view, this phenomena has serious consequences. In a society where the bulk of the population is educated in the same manner, we generally see a high degree of uniformity of values, goals, etc,... Conversely, where people come from extremely diverse backgrounds, there is less uniformity. Like many things in life, balance is crucial. Some diversity is good because it promotes individualism, innovations, and keeps things interesting. Too much and we get everyone so busy trying to do their own thing or forcing their world view on the rest of us that it results in chaos and makes it darn near impossible to get everyone to agree on what needs to be done about certain issues.

The interesting thing to ponder is this... What else might be right under the noses of all of us that NO ONE is seeing... And how might knowledge of these things change our lives?

 

[kurt]

Dude! Don't Bogart the twinkies!

 

[skiphunt]

I have a similar issue, but it relates to structures, stresses and flow of energy. I can't look at much of anything without thinking about how it is put together, what kinds of loads it must be experiencing, how it handles those loads, energy boundary layers and points of disconnect, etc,... I do it when I am looking at buildings, other man made structures, plants, bugs, you name it. At times, I really wish I could just turn it off and see something without analyzing it. With deliberate effort, I can do so to a degree, to simply experience the thing seen instead of disecting it. But then, there are times because of my way of seeing things that I can appreciate an aesthetic in something others might see as not being worth considering. I learned a long time ago to pretty much keep my thoughts about such things to myself as many seem to lack a similar appreciation and just get annoyed or roll their eyes when I point out stuff that I notice. I don't pretend to be any kind of genius as I have met too many other nerds with similar issues

I think that there are those that are truly gifted above and beyond the ordinary, but for most people, it is simply a lack of awareness and training. They do not "see" things because they do not know to look for them. Something can be right under their nose and they are totally oblivious to it. This is where education makes the difference. Getting an engineering background gave me the formal understanding of what I knew intuitively. A law degree allows me to see and understand issues I never knew existed. The personal study of philosophy and theology have opened up a way of seeing hitherto unexplored. Of course the major downside of this is that I can't watch much sci-fi, TV drama or shows dealing with philosophical issues without getting annoyed at the shows for their shallow and superficial presentation of the issues involved

From a sociological point of view, this phenomena has serious consequences. In a society where the bulk of the population is educated in the same manner, we generally see a high degree of uniformity of values, goals, etc,... Conversely, where people come from extremely diverse backgrounds, there is less uniformity. Like many things in life, balance is crucial. Some diversity is good because it promotes individualism, innovations, and keeps things interesting. Too much and we get everyone so busy trying to do their own thing or forcing their world view on the rest of us that it results in chaos and makes it darn near impossible to get everyone to agree on what needs to be done about certain issues.

The interesting thing to ponder is this... What else might be right under the noses of all of us that NO ONE is seeing... And how might knowledge of these things change our lives?

This is very true and VERY well put. I definitely think "we're" collectively out-of-balance.... leaning far to close to the homogenized, lack of variety scenario. I too recognize it's important for there to be some uniformity in order for a society to hang together, but I think we have collectively drifted far too much toward the grey sea of banality. If you happen to be outside of that grey river, it can make life difficult indeed. I usually combat it by getting off on my own somewhere and forgetting about the "race" for awhile... at least until I need food or gas.

I don't get the twinkies comment? Can anyone explain?

 

[scratch]

I don't get the twinkies comment? Can anyone explain?

I'm going to guess that Kurt is of the opinion that Scott's philosophical effusions are at least partly the result of an excess of processed sugar in the diet.

 

[Sleepy Weasel]

I thought it was a reference to the munchies.

 

[Texas T]

I don't get the twinkies comment? Can anyone explain?

Some of us at an earlier age may have partaken of certain substances which would have led us down the path of introspection and philosophical discussion. And given us a severe case of the munchies at the same time. I think Kurt was alluding to that.

Not that I would have any personal knowledge of such episodes.

 

[schwartzkm]

"How in the world can your bike be so clean on a trip like that??"

Maybe its the lighting?

 

[skiphunt]

"How in the world can your bike be so clean on a trip like that??"

Maybe its the lighting?

Honestly, I was just embarassed to admit that because I hadn't had a bike in 10 years... and this KLR was essentially just broken in and new when I left.. I was still a little obsessed with keeping it nice and shiny. Besides, those hotels always give you waaaaay more towels than you really need... the bike's in the room with me... there's soap and water handy... why not give her a quick bath? No joke, I even cleaned the bags regularly when they got dusty. Lame I know, but it's the truth.

I will say, she's now coved in about 3 months of road grime, dirt, and flung cheap chain lube. The new is finally worn off.

 

[skiphunt]

Some of us at an earlier age may have partaken of certain substances which would have led us down the path of introspection and philosophical discussion. And given us a severe case of the munchies at the same time. I think Kurt was alluding to that.

Not that I would have any personal knowledge of such episodes.

Yes, yes... I got the reference. I was just surprised is all. I thought drug inuendo, reference, and humor were taboo on this site? Or, maybe I'm confusing this site with another.

Anyhow, I didn't feel like the socialogical pondering sounded like stoner babble at all. I thought is was well done and was looking forward to reading other's reflections on what he wrote.

 

[Tourmeister]

Hehe, it is definitely NOT stoner babble I have the unfortunate curse of having such things running through my had all to often. There are times when I just can't go to sleep because it won't go away; hence, my late night posts... There are times when I wish I could just turn it off, but life won't let me do that. It keeps bringing up issues that I can't ignore.

Here's a point to ponder for you... What if you could push a button and make everyone see the one true light? Would that really be a good thing? Humans seem so good at, and happy, living in their own little realities that perhaps shattering those realities would be devastating? Maybe if the button made people gradually see the light so they could adjust to the change more easily? And what if everyone did actually see the light? Perhaps some would still choose to ignore it anyway and go blithely on their way unhindered by small technicalities like reality I certainly know in my own experience there have been times when reality has reared it's ugly head and I did my best to deny it... Even it we could all agree as the "facts" of reality, I doubt we would all agree as to the interpretation or signficance thereof! I guess this is in large part what drives so much of my cycnicism with regards to political movements and the thoughts of changing the world for the better. Maybe if we were like the BORG, sharing a collective consciousness, where we could ALL see reality from the perspective of everyone else, then perhaps we might find some kind of true unity?

I don't need to be stoned for thoughts like these to make me crave twinkies, poptarts, blue bell,...

 

[kurt]

I'm going to guess that Kurt is of the opinion that Scott's philosophical effusions are at least partly the result of an excess of processed sugar in the diet.

When people get THAT philosophical, I always think of a bunch of stoned people sitting around contemplating the most mundane things. Sorry, I just had to share.

One of my favorite movie scenes of all time was the pot smoking scene from "Animal House" I don't know why that strikes me as so funny, but it does.

 

[Red Baron]

I could not agree more with what have been said.
At what point or when, individual thinking becomes collective thinking and put into action/education for the benefit of the masses???
Wouldn't that then become a Catch 22???
Isn't this what continues to create advances in our society and positive/negative changes in our lives and way of thinking and gives way to consumerism???
So when does it stop???
Will we ever get there???
Will we know it all one day????
Should we be worried about Agents or a Matrix??? J/K
I believe that as long as there are material desires that go unfulfilled, hunger for power, personal egos to please and different religious, socio economic status and cultural back grounds, there will be pain, suffering, frustration, envy, anger, crimes, discrimination.....etc.
I'm not a pesimistic person, but I have no hope for the future.
That does not keeps me from trying my best.
Peace
PS I'm high on caffeine right now

 

[FotoMoto]

PS I'm high on caffeine right now

Coffee (n.), the person upon whom one coughs.

 

[Tourmeister]

It occurs to me that perhaps I should qualify my cynicism. In general, it is a deep distrust of Government to do much of anything for the good of the people, regardless of what political party is in office or even of the particular form of the government. All governments share the following traits: endless expansion, endless consumption, and an endless pursuit of control of EVERYTHING. All of those things are inherently anti-freedom despite whatever rhetoric spews from the politicians and talking heads. I think history pretty much bears out this observation. So I do not put much stock in seeking salvation from our woes in the efforts of government bureaucracy. Seeking political power is pointless. Seeking to "reform" society through the use of political power is self-defeating and equally pointless.

However, I do maintain a glimmer of hope. Perhaps as our own government becomes less and less credible in the eyes of the general public, the same public will become more open to ideas and concepts beyond the typical statist ideology so often spouted. I've been rereading a great book on Propaganda and it claims that Stalin, Hitler, Mao, and even our own government concluded that roughly 7% of any population really has a clearly defined and reasoned worldview that they cling to. The other 93% just sort of go with the flow in an unquestioning manner. Thus the Propagandist ignores or marginalizes the 7% and focuses his efforts on the 93%. If that is true, then getting that other 93% motivated is what matters.

Let's think about this a minute. It would be real hard for 7% of the population to overthrow the government without the assistance of a good sized chunk of that 93% group. So If I were the present government seeking to stay in power, I would would focus my efforts on marginalizing the 7% so no one would take them serious. Then I would do my best to make sure that the 93% was as dependent on my system as much as possible. I would push monetary policies that encouraged consumption and debt so people's financial choices were severely restricted. I would make sure there was a steady stream of entertainment to keep them placated to take their minds off things like boring jobs, rising credit card bills, low pay, skyrocketing deficits, politically sensitive activities, etc,... I would speak in emotionally loaded words to confuse people as to what I was really doing behind the scenes. If all that were done well, I would be able to do quite a bit before people were sufficiently upset to question or rise up against me, perhaps even engage in some presidential hanky panky in the big office...

People are inherently self induglent and lazy. We don't want to be bothered with affairs outside our fields of interest. We want our simple pleasures and luxuries. We don't want to take the time and effort to educate ourselves and really try to understand our world. We readily accept the easy answers spoon fed to us. Overcoming this natural tendency takes circumstances of dire proportions and even then it does not always change people's attitudes. Look at the recent debacle over Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The government simply could not cope at most every level. People were forced out of their homes, left to fend for themselves, etc... and yet instead of a cry to get rid of a useless encumberance, we find people clamoring for MORE spending, MORE government involvement, MORE welfare, MORE MORE MORE... I don't get it

So getting back to that glimmer of hope... A single pebble tossed into a swollen and rising river will not stem the flow. A pebble tossed off a mountain can start an avalanche by getting some other pebbles moving. An avalanche might be enough to dam or divert such a river. My job is to go around nudging pebbles off their mountaintops in hopes of starting a few avalanches

 

[skiphunt]

It occurs to me that perhaps I should qualify my cynicism. In general, it is a deep distrust of Government to do much of anything for the good of the people, regardless of what political party is in office or even of the particular form of the government. All governments share the following traits: endless expansion, endless consumption, and an endless pursuit of control of EVERYTHING. All of those things are inherently anti-freedom despite whatever rhetoric spews from the politicians and talking heads. I think history pretty much bears out this observation. So I do not put much stock in seeking salvation from our woes in the efforts of government bureaucracy. Seeking political power is pointless. Seeking to "reform" society through the use of political power is self-defeating and equally pointless.

However, I do maintain a glimmer of hope. Perhaps as our own government becomes less and less credible in the eyes of the general public, the same public will become more open to ideas and concepts beyond the typical statist ideology so often spouted. I've been rereading a great book on Propaganda and it claims that Stalin, Hitler, Mao, and even our own government concluded that roughly 7% of any population really has a clearly defined and reasoned worldview that they cling to. The other 93% just sort of go with the flow in an unquestioning manner. Thus the Propagandist ignores or marginalizes the 7% and focuses his efforts on the 93%. If that is true, then getting that other 93% motivated is what matters.

Let's think about this a minute. It would be real hard for 7% of the population to overthrow the government without the assistance of a good sized chunk of that 93% group. So If I were the present government seeking to stay in power, I would would focus my efforts on marginalizing the 7% so no one would take them serious. Then I would do my best to make sure that the 93% was as dependent on my system as much as possible. I would push monetary policies that encouraged consumption and debt so people's financial choices were severely restricted. I would make sure there was a steady stream of entertainment to keep them placated to take their minds off things like boring jobs, rising credit card bills, low pay, skyrocketing deficits, politically sensitive activities, etc,... I would speak in emotionally loaded words to confuse people as to what I was really doing behind the scenes. If all that were done well, I would be able to do quite a bit before people were sufficiently upset to question or rise up against me, perhaps even engage in some presidential hanky panky in the big office...

People are inherently self induglent and lazy. We don't want to be bothered with affairs outside our fields of interest. We want our simple pleasures and luxuries. We don't want to take the time and effort to educate ourselves and really try to understand our world. We readily accept the easy answers spoon fed to us. Overcoming this natural tendency takes circumstances of dire proportions and even then it does not always change people's attitudes. Look at the recent debacle over Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The government simply could not cope at most every level. People were forced out of their homes, left to fend for themselves, etc... and yet instead of a cry to get rid of a useless encumberance, we find people clamoring for MORE spending, MORE government involvement, MORE welfare, MORE MORE MORE... I don't get it

So getting back to that glimmer of hope... A single pebble tossed into a swollen and rising river will not stem the flow. A pebble tossed off a mountain can start an avalanche by getting some other pebbles moving. An avalanche might be enough to dam or divert such a river. My job is to go around nudging pebbles off their mountaintops in hopes of starting a few avalanches

VERY well put my man!


This isn't from a "trip" (although I DID ride my motorcycle today)... and I've been looking for a little compact for motorcycle trips that give me a nice image, high res, is compact, and shoots 30fps video clips for future trips.

Since some have expressed interest in my photo gear I thought I'd share a few images from my latest discovery.

I've been testing this little Panasonic compact that I think might be my next travel cam.

I shot a few snaps this afternoon here in Austin, Texas. Here's a few I shot this afternoon.

http://www.poppinfreshmedia.com/lx-1/

~Skip

 

[Tourmeister]

Hmm.. I'd say that camera does quite well! Have you tested the video clip feature?

 

[skiphunt]

Thanks, haven't checked video yet.. but it does 16x9 848x480 30fps! I'm not holding my breath on the video part, but it should be MORE than adequate for podcasting.