Happy Valentine MJ

For you;



This is a great tribute to the poor in this world.

Facebook Changes - 2.11.11

Facebook Changes
Original post by: Kellie Mairs on Wednesday, February 9, 2011 at 2:51pm

Have you noticed that you are only seeing updates in your newsfeed from the same people lately? Have you also noticed that when you post things like status messages, photos and links, the same circle of people are commenting and every……one else seems to be ignoring you?

Don’t worry, everyone still loves you and nobody has intentionally blocked you. The problem is that a large chunk of your friend/fan list can’t see anything you post and here’s why:

The “New Facebook” has a newsfeed setting that by default is automatically set to show ONLY posts from people who you’ve recently interacted with or interacted the most with (which would be limited to the couple of weeks just before people started switching to the new profile). So in other words, for both business and personal pages, unless your friends/fans commented on one of your posts within those few weeks or vice versa – you are now invisible to them and they are invisible to you!!

HERE’S THE FIX: Scroll down to the bottom of the newsfeed on the homepage and click on “Edit Options”, click on “Show Posts From” and change the setting to “All Of Your Friends and Pages” Note: This is the fix for personal pages but I am unsure of whether or not the business pages are set up the same way.

Simply posting an update about it won’t do any good because lots of your friends/fans already can’t see your posts by default. You’ll either have to send out a message to everyone on your list (which I’m not even sure business pages can do and is a rather tedious method) or post an event explaining the situation like this one and invite your entire fan base and/or friend list. You can also tweet about it hoping that most of your fellow facebookers are also on twitter.

Shame on facebook for altering the default setting and not telling people and business pages about it! Just think about how many companies posted Christmas sales and discounts without having any idea that their customers couldn’t see the updates.

Symphony of Science - 'We Are All Connected' (ft. Sagan, Feynman, deGrasse Tyson & Bill Nye)

If there is only one YouTube video you watch this year make it this one.

Tour De Nuit - Calgary

Calgary tour de nuit bike fest and ride the road tour Aug 23'09.

Calgary's tour de nuit Society was formed in early 2009 as a promotion group for bicycle commuting in Calgary. On Sunday they held a ride that was a great success. Their were so many great bikes that took part, and the band was pretty darn good too.

To contact the society and get involved there is more information on morepeoplecycling.ca
They are also on [FaceBook].

My photos of the event can be seen Flickr and yes you can purchase the digital images.

Jason Lapierre Memorial Time Trials

Jason Lapierre Memorial cycling weekend just past. The time trials were held on a new portion of the Stoney Trail just East of Deerfoot and North of Country Hill Blvd and was presented by Stoney Trail Constructors.

I spent from 10:00 am to about 2:30pm photographing the event. The photos of the Jason Lapierre Memorial Cycling Weekend can be seen [here]. Photographs are available for sale, just email me and let me know which photos you are interested in.

I enjoyed the heck out of the day, see you next weekend at Crossfield.

keithstudios - photography

A new look at a new project - photojournalism.

Hi and welcome, I bring your attention to my new website: keithstudios.com/photos There you will find all kinds of information on my photography and photojournalism in particular. A camera for hire whether to get a new flesh look for your wedding photos as back-up with your formal photographer, or at gatherings of any type (corporate or personal).

From my passion with the bicycle I have tons of photos on Road Races, Track meets, or the bike culture that is typical of most cities. By giving me a heads-up on up coming events, you have a great chance to see your photo or someone you know's face on my Flickr Pro account.


I am available for photo assignment nation wide. Thanks for spending a little time with me.
Cam

Architechural HDR image

This is one of my first HDR images I've taken in Calgary. HDR images are the result of combing 3 images into one. One at normal exposure, one under and one over.

The building is a new one located in University Research Park.

Courier Bike at Bankers Hall - yyc

Saw this bike downtown the other day. Take a close look, stripped down and still a great bike.

Photograph selected

Received this email just yesterday:

Hi cam.keithstudios,

I am delighted to let you know that your submitted photo
has been selected for inclusion in the newly released eighth
edition of our Schmap Calgary Guide:

Canada Olympic Park
http://www.schmap.com/calgary/introduction_lodging/p=34638/i=34638_36.jpg

"This photograph was taken back in May from Nose Hill Park. You can see OPC
with a but of snow still on the runs with the great Rockie Mountains in the
back ground."

Enjoy!!

Times tic'n

This long weekend was great for photos. With Saturdays take the original count was about 2100 photos that I took. Of course there were lots that didn't make the cut. Saturday my count was approx. 1400 photos of Calgary's first Ironman. All the photos were taken at the corner of No. 8 highway and Sacree Trail. There photos and some supporting photos [HERE]







Today I managed to take about 700 photos of the Tour De Bowness, in NW Calgary, The place was buzzing with participants and family. Lots of fun. The day was overcast so the lighting was much better. Also, the shots have lot of energy.Here is the [LINK] Enjoy!!

Restoring sight

Went to the retinal surgeon on Monday. Good new! The doctor believe he can restore some of my vision.

I have a epiretinal membrane (macular pucker) growing on the eyes macula. After about 1 1/2 years of putting up with ever reducing vision (currently 20/100) I can hardly wait to have this thing removed, regardless of any amount of discomfort. I am booked in for surgery August 11. Because of the type of surgery the doctor performing the operation may have to be called away for emergancy so I would be bumped to the next operation date. One never knows when an emergancy patient will need a retinal surgeon. Regardless, it should be the same week.

Recovery for the sight to return will be upto 6 months. This time will give the macula time to try return to its original shape. As it does the vision should also improve. There are other completions like retinal tearing but as the surgeon said "this is what we do"(referring to type of surgery he does) so I think I am in good hands.

Update to health care – in Canada

I must say that my experience in Alberta has been great and totally different then that experience in Nova Scotia.

The first thing I need to do was to get an appointment with my Ophthalmologist here in Calgary. Iritis is nothing to fool with. During the regular examination he mentioned that he had two surgeons that were doing great work and that he wanted them to have a look at me. Appointments where set up to have two different types of visual tests on my eyes. Painlessly I went through these without a hitch and as a result now have an appointment with one of the surgeon in July. I don’t know about you but the thought of having vision restored sound great to me.

Because of the dryness in Calgary versus the shores of the Atlantic Ocean (Nova Scotia) I’ve had the misfortune of a sinus blowout (nose bleeds that don’t want to stop). The second time it happened was the day after the first. I simply couldn’t get the bleed to slow down so we made our way to Foothills Emergency. Although it took 6 hours to get in (I wasn’t dying) I was taken care to the best of everyone ability. Oh, and for that nagging question ask in Nova Scotia, it was simply asked “do you want to state your religion” and that was it. Very professional I must say. So, 48 hours after the doctor packed my nose I had to return to get it out. Ouch! All seems to be fine now as I’m keeping the nose moist as possible.

I have appointments with an E.N.T. guy, a colonoscopy guy, a retinal surgeon all within 2 months, not bad, let get this show on the road!

Civil liberties eroded in the name of better health care -

Recently I had to get some blood work done at the Roseway Hospital in Shelburne, NS. Like every other reasonable person, when I arrived I went directly to the Admin desk to check in. As this was not my first visit to this hospital the task at hand should have been simple and straight forward, or so I thought. While going through the questions the lady behind the glass was typing like crazy filling in all the data fields on the computer screen. She then asked me a question I hadn’t heard before;

What is your religion? She asked (point blank without expression).

I was lost for words. Pardon me? (Taking the moment to think why this information would help me)

What is your religion? She asked again. Then she added you don’t have to answer the question if you don’t want to.

I quickly said, “Well then I don’t want to”.

Her reply was swift and pointed as if she typed the answer hundreds of times before. “None”!

“That is not true” I said quickly. After all if this was for my health care it better be right, I thought.

There is another selection on the list she retorted, “Unknown”.

How do I get out of this spot without arguing? She didn’t know my “religion”, so that answer could be accurate in one sense, and so I said “that will do”.

I am sure that the majority of people would think this question has no place in a publicly funded hospital. A hospital that is located in a community where many veterans went to fight and die for our freedom of religion. This issue goes far further than some programmer trying to fill a database with as much information as can possibly be gleaned from a patient. A patient that is likely more than a little sick to care what questions are being asked of themselves.

Sure the computer screen’s selection box may be staring the secretary in the face with a wanting to be filled in. Sure the database may not be complete without that non-vital tidbit if non-relative information. But this very loaded question has no place in a building that serves all people regardless of race, creed or religion!

Eckhart Tolle said, that when you try force people to fit a set of beliefs you are performing an act of violence on them. Please stand for your human-rights and demand the hospital remove this non-relevant question for its admittance forms. If you can’t stand then I stand for you here and now.
- Cameron A. Keith

The day after the eye exam

I don’t usually like talking about the negative but this is a must to get off my chest.

A couple of months ago we received an ad in the mail that sounded just what we needed. It read:
Eye Exams in 15 minutes
Glasses in 2 hours

Couldn’t get any better. All we needed was a good reason to go into Yarmouth, a 95km / 1 hr drive. Well yesterday was it, Ann was off work so we got in the truck and off we went. December 12 ’08 was a rather strange day. The temperature was +14c rain with wind gusts to 100 km per hr. Not a great day for travel but hay we were on a mission, we were getting new glasses.

We arrived in town as expected about an hour later and headed right down town so that we could use the wait time as shopping time. So on our way we stop in to Mr. Clown for a McBreakfest something or other. After wolfing that down we were on our way again.

There it is, across the street from the running shore place. Those people loved my innocence painting. We let them hang it for a month. But I digress.

So there we are, walking in to the Optometrist’s office, nice clean, no one waiting the place was empty except for the young man in his brilliant light lab coat.

- My I help you, says the man behind the counter?
- Ann starts, yes we are looking for new glasses.
- Well come in, would you like help with your selection?
- Oh oh, something is askew I’m thinking, we would also like to get are eye tested first.
- As he slides across that floor on his chair, January is where we are booking now.
- Can we get tested today?
- I don’t test people like that, you need an appointment, was his reply.

Ann and I look at each other; rolled our eyes back into our head and headed for the door. I turned around before leaving and put his glossy little ad on the desk and said thank-you. We walk out. The man watched maybe 500.00 walk out his office without a word. ‘Bait and Switch’, both Ann and I hate that type of thing.

So here we are today, old prescriptions and tired eyes. I know there is nothing that can be done for blindness, but there must be some help to balance the eyes so that I can read easier. We are currently looking to another Optometrist.

A bit of inspiration from the friends on Twitter. You can follow me too. Thank-you

I can't believe it

I can't believe this weather. The first year we lived in this house (south shore Nova Scotia) by mid December we had already burnt 3 cords of wood. The price then was 150.00/cord. Through the process of remodeling and general maintenance we have managed to reduce our wood consumption down to 3/4 of a cord to date for this year. Simply incredible

It has been warm, to day for instance we will be at +4c. The day before yesterday it was cold -10c and windy. I did have to use a lot of wood that day so there can still be additional work done on the house. That work will have to wait.

Talking about the weather on a art blog? What can I say I'm Canadian, we love to talk about the weather.

The last two months I've managed to create a lot of work. I am in the process of migrating most of my work from keithstudios.com to here. It just make more sense. It is less work and more efficient to develop this blog as a point of sale and gallery for my art.

Art is how I make my money to by wood to heat my home. Support comes from people like you when you purchasing a piece of art. By a piece of art this year from an art you like.

Get out of bed lazy bones!

Well here I go! Head spinning, arms flapping and both feet stuck in samara. Boy-oh-boy this is going to be a lot of work! While rifling through all the CDs, DVDs, and MP3 files that are included in the two modules I get a sense of just how much work this is going to be. My current plan of attack is to mirror Tathagata Essence (that I take with Geshe-la in Boston) and start 'Stages on the Path to Enlightenment' from home study Basic Program from fpmt. The course coordinator thinks it should be fine to do it this way. It will give me a good foundation on the material, how it is presented and studied.

Get your butt out of bed lazy bones! This is the toughest part I think. Getting up at approximately 5:30 without the need to put more firewood in the stove is tough. However, in order to get what I need done on a daily basis this will have to be the plan. I think winter will help with this, you know, when it gets cold.

While reading Geshe Jampa Gyatso's commentary on the Middle Lam-Rim I come to this;
We will go ahead with the explanation of this text like a turtle not like a rabbit.

Immediately my mind thinks, 'Like a rabbit with ADHD'. Stopping the mind from wandering aimlessly without restraint, boy! I've done lots of meditation before but for some reason doing the Lam-Rim meditation starts the mind going uncontrollably. I'm sure it will settle down I just hope it is sooner then later. Today, I can't get through about 15 minutes of the Guru Devotion meditation and then I must stop. I'm fine with this, I know the time will increase as I go along.

Hearing Robina do the morning prayers is very soothing. I've listened to many of her dharma talks. Somewhere in the neighbourhood of 35. With each one being approx. 60 minutes long I think a familiar voice in deed.

Will life scoots buy! I have reading to get done and as a bonus, dishes in the sink.

The Five Year Plan

After months of deliberation I have chosen to start on a path that millions of people before me have taken. I have made a commitment to the Basic Program that fpmt offers. I am very excited about taking this course in Buddhist studies. I just hope that I feel the same or even more elated in five years (or so) when I come to the end of the course.

Anger is yours and you can control it to live a happier life. I've found this statement to be true and with a lot of personal work anyone can become a happier person with less anger in his or her life. As Martha would say "... and that's a good thing".

It's my intent to share a few thoughts here as I travel 'on the seas to the other side' (to enlightenment). It will be more of a journal then anything and you are welcome to read and comment as you see fit on my journey. Because our minds continue on after our body's death I wonder if by chance I will read this in some future life. What are the chances, I think very rare!

I am a student member of the Kurukulla Center and a participant of the Home Study -Basic Program of the fpmt (Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition) Gelug Buddhism. It is said that there is no such thing as Buddhism only Buddhists. Strange maybe until you start reading and understanding what it is all about.

By the way, I put new art up online all the time at Keith Studios.

'til next time
Om mani padme hum

What up with the eyes

There’s been a few asking about the blindness.

Background:
For the past 15 years approximately, I have had to deal with recurring bouts of Iritis, arthritic of the iris [detail link]. After the first bout and the following 4 or 5 year it happened yearly and would last approx. 10 - 16 weeks. During that time I was working as a Piping Layout Designer, in the Petroleum Industry. Ten or twelve hours per day on a CAD computer with a sick eye was not cool!
The eye, dilated and getting drops applied every 15 minutes for the first two weeks and then reduced to 4 times a day. In fact I was in the middle of a bout when my Ophthalmologist found Glaucoma in the infected eye. Weird enough, it was the Iritis that brought the Glaucoma to his attention during one of my biweekly check-ups. Six month after getting Glaucoma in the left eye the right followed suit. This was not good news to hear and probably the last straw for my wife and me, we freaked out.
Besides the Glaucoma and Iritis, I now contracted a retinal membrane in the left eye that causes Pre-macular Fibrosis. The membrane can be removed surgically but the odds are not good on recovery. There isn't a good chance that the operation will yield favorable results. And there is a one in four chance of further injury to the eye. Think about it this was; the next time you go flying. How would you feel if every fourth pilot got a 51% on the final exam and every fourth plan lands in the ocean? You see my point.
Painting and drawing with decreasing vision is a challenge. However, the poor vision has made me better by forced me to focus on the art’s nature, its essence and not the details. The other thought is my art will show the progression further to blindness. The blindness may also show a natural progression towards the abstractness of subject matter as well. Time will tell.

Well there it is. I'm not going to talk about the other negative stuff associated with all this. Good you say, I think so too.

UPDATE: Nov 08
The Doctor tells me that there is a hole in the macula of the left eye now.

My guru, Geshe-la Tsultrim Chogel

Venerable Geshe-la Tsulga (Lama Tsultrim Chophel) was born in Tibet in 1939. A novice monk by the age of seven, he joined the Je college of Lhasa's Sera Monastery to begin his geshe studies at seventeen. In 1959 he fled Tibet after the Tibetan uprising against Chinese occupation. After a decade in the refugee camp of Buxaduar in West Bengal, he went to Bylakuppe in south India to help build Sera monastery in exile. In 1988, he graduated geshe lharampa with highest honors at the top of his class.

He arrived in the United States in December 1992, having been requested to come by Lama Zopa Rinpoche to teach at the FPMT centers on the east coast. Since 1995 he has been resident teacher at Kurukulla Center in Boston. Those who know Geshela will attest to his great kindness, humility, and his being a shining example of one who truly embodies the teachings of the Buddha. He has extensive knowledge of Buddhist philosophy and has authored several books published in Tibetan and the latest, How to Practice the Buddhadharma: A Lamp Illuminating the Path to Liberation, published with Tibetan and English is forthcoming from Wisdom Publications

Geshela travels back to Sera Monastery in India annually to receive teachings from his teachers.Geshe-la currently lives and teaches at the Kurukulla Center in Boston. All his teachings are broadcase live via the internet. see details