Photography & Computer News
August 2010 Issue

Happy 2010, Everyone!

IN THIS ISSUE

• Photo of the Month: The Ant In The Bloom
• Computer Help: Viruses & Monthly Maintenance NEW Service
• Computer Help: Mac Tutoring
• Computer Tips: Cool Web Sites
• Photography News: SIDE STREET ARTISTS - 2011 Schedule
  

PHOTO OF THE MONTH:

The Ant In The Bloom
(Common Purslane)
July 2010

Weed, super fuel vegetable, medicinal plant, soil enhancer or pretty bloom? Purslane (also called pigweed or little hogweed) is a succulent in the Portulaca family that wears many hats.

It's history dates back to the 7th Century BC. Pliny the Elder, a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and personal friend of the emperor Vespasian, considered it to have such healing powers that he advised wearing it to ward off all evils.

Though often considered an invasive weed in North America, purslane is an edible plant and has more omega-3 fatty acids than any other vegetable. It's also rich in antioxidants. As a spreading ground cover, it provides moisture and nutrition for soil. Factor in that it's very easy to grow and its blooms are lushly beautiful, and I can't imagine why I don't see it grown more in my area.

In my yard, my purslane is in large pots that line the patio. In magentas, oranges, yellow, it cascades down over the sides of the pots in waterfalls of saturated and succulent color. On this morning, I couldn't resist visiting the microcosm of life tucked in the petals of the purslane blossoms.

Macro photography is often filled with unexpected treasures. It really requires only a few elements, so if you are so inclined, even with a little compact camera (all of which have macro settings!), just be sure you mount your camera on a tripod. Getting in close means you have to hold very still. Before you start snapping, take some time to explore your landscape. Look for little creatures climbing the valleys and ridges of blooms, watch how the light reflects off the lips of petals and lose yourself in the anatomy of a plant.

And don't forget to let the creative side of your brain lead the way. Imagine. Play. Think less about the camera and more about what you "see". Just "be".

After all, it's probably why we're called human-beings rather than human-doing's.

COMPUTER HELP: Viruses & Other Warnings

This summer has been an especially bad summer for viruses, spyware and other malicious infections in your computer. Clients and acquaintances have had their identities breached via computer infections, and in each case, it required erasing the computer completely of all information, then starting over again. And that's only on the computer side of thing!

Such breaches can be costly and very frustrating. Reclaiming your identity can take time and money. As unfortunate as it is to such threats in our lives, it is always best to protect yourself.

Here are the steps you should consider:

• Do NOT open emails that have been forwarded, even if they are from friends or people you know and trust. Most of the time, they are for entertainment value only and are just not worth the cost of infection.
• Do not click ANY links that  you aren't sure of, especially from email.
• Do not allow any software to be installed on your computer from a web site or email.
• Run MalwareBytes weekly. Be sure to update this software first.
• Run your antivirus scans weekly, and update it first.
• Do not click links in Google searches that are not well-known and established web sites.
• Never give out any private information via email. Email is NOT a secure method of communicating.
• Never give out any private information to a web site, unless you are confident that the web site is secure. There are many scams out there that pretend to send emails from your bank, and are just ploys to get your information.

I wish you all very safe computing experiences. Follow these simple guidelines and you'll be on your way to just that.

COMPUTER HELP: Tutoring for Mac Users

For those of you with Macs, I am now offering individual tutoring on Mac computers. This will include teaching sessions only, not repair or problem resolution. If you have a Mac and want to get to know your computer a little better, give me a call for an appointment at 498-0480!

COMPUTER TIPS: Cool Web Sites

YourNextRead.com:  I realize that the summer reading season is about over, but this web site is a cool discovery any time of the year. Have you read a great book and would like to read something similar? Visit this web site, sign up for a free account or do an unregistered search, and you'll find exactly what you're looking for:  your next good read.

Teens4Oceans.org:  This web site is a coalition of students, scientists and non-profit organizations dedicated to increasing our understanding of America's ocean heritage. It's a fascinating web site, and one of the coolest features are the live underwater web cams located in the Florida Keys.

The most active - and reliable - web cam is positioned in twenty feet of water on a concrete piling of a bridge in the Marathon in the Florida Keys. It is powered 100% by wind and sun.

It's not unusual to see tarpon and tropical fishes swimming in the currents. If you like aquariums, you'll find this web cam extremely mesmerizing. (tip: double click on the live video for a full screen view. To see it small again, just double click once more. )

Have fun with these two web site!

PHOTOGRAPHY NEWS: SIDE STREET ARTISTS Art Fair - 2011 Schedule

Side Street Artists is getting ready to kick off another season of great art shows beginning in January. Here's the upcoming 2011 schedule:

Saturday, January 20, 2011
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Saturday, April 2, 2011

Each art show is an INDOOR event from 10 am to 4 pm at the Bonita Shores Club just off Bonita Beach Road. For more information about this show, including examples of ALL our artist's work and show location maps, be sure to visit the Side Street Artists web site.

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I'm always looking for new topics to cover that interest YOU, the reader! If you have ideas, just click to send me an email, or give me a call at (239) 498-0480.

Well, that wraps up another issue of my newsletter. Until next month, thanks for reading!

M.E. Parker