brucine (broo'-seen), 1) n. Pharm., Chem. a bitter, poisonous alkaloid, C23H26N2O4, obtained from the nux vomica tree; 2) n. Bruce Bortin's 'low-impact' weblog

Sunday, May 31, 2009

This Post is Dedicated to Puzzlemaster Will Shortz

A few weeks ago, somebody wrote "WTM" on the lintel above the door inside our apartment building's elevator. I guess this made somebody else angry, because a couple days ago, they scratched across the inscription with their keys or something.























I don't know what "WTM" means, but I *am* an instinctive peacemaker. How can I bring harmony to our elevator? I thought and thought.


Everybody loves NEWT-MAN!

This Post is Dedicated to Will Shortz, originally uploaded by dumbeast.


Winning Card


Winning Card, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Bingo Kings. I won a gift certificate!

Bingo Kings at MG Gallery


Bingo Kings at MG Gallery, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Before the show

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Bingo Kings Intro

The Bingo Kings at MG Gallery, Oakland CA. I got BINGO in all-important Game #3. Scott and Adam were awesome.

Ben & Nick's


Ben & Nick's, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Vinegar bottles

Friday, May 29, 2009

THC Messenger Bag


THC Messenger Bag, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

(Tenderloin Housing Clinic.)

Bugs


Bugs, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

24th St SF

Butterknife on BART


Butterknife on BART, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Somebody left this knife poised on a seat of the BART train I took to work the other morning.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Diffraction & Texture tweaked


Diffraction & Texture tweaked, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Diffraction & Texture


Diffraction & Texture, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Why the does the camera see light outlines around the dark specks on the pavement?

Federal Admiral


Federal Admiral, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

90 7th St, SF CA

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

No on 8 Supporters Shun City Hall in Wake of CA Supreme Court's Dunderheaded Decision

Lots of futile helicopter activity, and cops galore, but I guess the protest got blocked around Grove & Van Ness on their way down from the Castro.

Monday, May 25, 2009

Urban Park Experience


Drug Grounds, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Snow Park in Oakland. Debris from what looks, to me, like commerce. Check the baggie, the blunt wrapper, lots of matches & cigarette ends. The ashes were not in a cigarette ash configuration. I saw an unbent wire that looked suspicious, too. No needles, though!

I moved on to another part of the park and just hung out, without recording anything. Sometimes there's stuff going on that, for one reason or another, is unphotographable. I was mostly watching a pair of tiger swallowtails flying about from tree to tree, sometimes interacting in an upward twining double helical maneuver, and then moving apart.

Also airborne, there were robins and pigeons, and a grackle couple that didn't see eye to eye on some issue.

Furthermore. There were a couple guys with metal detectors. Both of them wore bluejeans and unmarked black T-shirts. They had serious-looking metal detectors, with the big disk angled off the end of a long, handled stick, and the oversize headphones. But that's not all. No, they each had a trowel that they used to cut out a circle of turf whenever they heard a beep, I guess. Then they'd dig down maybe 10 inches, pile the sod and dirt on a mini-tarp and go over everything with a hand-held wand-shaped detector. They were conscientious about replacing their divots.

It looked like they were looking for something specific.

They were both wearing knee pads.

Back at the drug benches, some guy settled in there and began grunting/moaning rhythmically. Ostentatiously. In a kind of 'tard voice. He had on dark glasses, and every time I looked over at him, he was already looking at me. After a spell, I left.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Cactus Flowers


Cactus Flowers, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

IMG_9788


IMG_9788, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

What's happening in Dan's old space at Prieto Studios

Monday, May 18, 2009

El Flaccido in Bloom


El Flaccido in Bloom, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Must be springtime.

Lynne-Rachel & Peter


Lynne-Rachel & Peter, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Moving my old slumping oven into L-R's space.

Raffi Would Rather be Somewhere Else

Instead of on this stupid errand.

Peter with the Oven


Peter with the Oven, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

After we had belayed the monster making it fast to the craft.
Hale fellow well met.

Stadium Lights at Dusk


Stadium Lights at Dusk, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

CACH
CREE
CASINO RESO
LUCKU

Stadium Lights at Dusk


Stadium Lights at Dusk, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Marlene, Mary & Richard


Marlene, Mary & Richard, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

At the Starry Plough to hear Gayle Lynne & the Hired Hands

Tom


Tom, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Rodeo Queen


Rodeo Queen, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Gayle Lynne with Tom Drohan, one of the Hired Hands, backing her up on bass.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Returning the Car


Returning the Car, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Happy man.

Firetruck for Avi


Firetruck for Avi, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Part of Mothers Day dinner. Hi, Avi. I think I might have forgotten some firetruck elements. We'll keep on working on this until we get it right, okay?
xx Uncle Bruce

Firetrucks


Firetrucks, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

There's firetrucks and firefighters all over Santa Barbara.

Santa Barbara Ashes


Santa Barbara Ashes, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

The ashes collect in the spider webs. This must make it hard to make a living as an arachnid in these parts. The ashes used to be stuff that belonged to people. Houses, books, lots of crap from China, cars, photographs. And stuff that didn't belong to people, too. Trees, moss, critters. Spiders.

Gull & Reflection


Gull & Reflection, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

"Nice reflection of that gull. I bet it would be really hard to paint that. And then if you did paint it, it'd look really stupid."

"Alright. I'll photograph it."

Pismo Beach

Gull Tracks detail


Gull Tracks detail, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Pismo Beach

Gull Tracks


Gull Tracks, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Nice patterning, eh? Pismo Beach

Moon at Dawn


Moon at Dawn, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Pismo Beach

Mary & Ramona at Morro Rock


Mary & Ramona at Morro Rock, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Mothers Day
Can you find R M Nixon in the background?

Ramona & Mary at Morro Rock


Ramona & Mary at Morro Rock, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

On Mothers Day

Coffee in Pismo


Coffee in Pismo, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

At Chela's, while Ramona was in church.

Sea Gypsy Room 3


Sea Gypsy Room 3, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Sea Gypsy Room 2


Sea Gypsy Room 2, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Sea Gypsy Room


Sea Gypsy Room, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Pismo Beach

Granite


Granite, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Fuel stop in Atascadero on the way south

Friday, May 08, 2009

Crayons and Paper

Some primitive stop-action animation on 8mm Kodakrome stock, followed by Midwestern storm clouds and wind. At the end, the filmmaker in a mirror.

Blarney and His Pals

Romping on the lawn in late '60s Mequon, WI. There's Meg, some little pishers that I don't think I recognize, Sarah Egan climbing a wall, and a few brief frames of Babs.

The Photosynthesis Story

A home made animation, shot on regular 8mm film for my high school Biology II class in 1970. This is very raw footage with no sound.

Bruce from Long Ago


Bruce from Long Ago, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Still from a film shot in, oh, I'm guessing 1970 or 1971, around there.

Opposite GA


Opposite GA, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Flattened dihedral

NOPE


NOPE, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

14th & Alice St, Oakland

Home 2 Roost


Home 2 Roost, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

gunz

14th & Alice St, Oakland

Monday, May 04, 2009

Mary's Ring

This is way bent out of shape, so we're getting it fixed. But I like the way in which it's gotten out-of-round, and wanted to make a record of it. Music: "Andy's Chest" by Lou Reed

Eclipse


Eclipse, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Pre-Docking


Pre-Docking, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Light bulbs in the bathroom.

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