Tag Archives: POTD

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POTD – 17/365

“….Adele got a flip phone…”

Greetings all…

I’m a bit of a gadget monger. While I don’t keep every bit of outdated, dead tech (I’m about to throw some on eBay and Craigslist though), I have kept a few devices. Kept not only for nostalgia, but good memories of using them as my tech journey continued along. One item I fondly remember using is the Motorola Razr V3 above. It was my second mobile phone and I loved everything about it, from its sleek design, lines, futuristic look, operation, and form factor. After leaving it for two BlackBerrys and then the iPhone, I always wished I would still be able to use it on current networks. It was early last year that I actually became weary of all the convenient technological features (believe it or not) of my great iPhone and actually longed for the days of simplicity (and truthfully far less distraction) of a mobile phone.

Surprisingly, Verizon announced today that they are re-introducing the Razr V3 in limited quantities, only 200,000…but the cost of $1500 a pop…$1500?? No. I’m sure there are those with pockets deep enough to easily scarf one or two of these apparent “collectibles” up, but…nah. At the same time, I’m glad to see it back. If they were to release one at a far cheaper cost, I’d highly consider going back, even if Adele didn’t have a flip phone😏. (Sunny Mabrey is mad hilarious! LOL)

Peace,
Fresh

Reference:

1. A New Motorola Razr Will Be Released This Year as a $1500 foldable phone | Android Central

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POTD – 16/365

“There ‘s an app for that.”

I started seriously, or maybe I should say consistently, going to the gym in my very late 20’s…(yeah, yeah, there have been a FEW hiatuses, but that’s not what this post is about,😂)…long before the iPhone or any wearable fitness tracker was even in existence. It was then that I recorded all my workout data in a notebook: pen and paper.

Fast forward to 2019, when wearables are still the rage and smartphones are pretty ubiquitous, and everyone’s fitness data touches the cloud (if you use these devices for such) at some point. Yes, it makes it convenient, even motivating for sure, but there are still times I write down stuff in notebook – easy access, no power needed, right there whenever I need it on a sunny day (in other words, no “clouds” (get it??) in sight.

Best,
Fresh

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POTD – 12/365

In remembrance.

I’m not one to post very personal things to social media, I’m just not – never have been/never will be, for reasons I need not get into here. In this case I will make an exception.

Today marks two years since my father passed away. I have very fond memories of him, and like with many fathers and sons, things happen where the agreement of things don’t occur 100% of the time, but I will say this – he always provided for me in a great number ways, and has been there. The photo above was a small memorial ceremony, held at my uncle’s house – the releasing of balloons in remembrance of him

You’re still missed.

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POTD – 9/365

“Things that make you go hmmmm…”

Greetings readers….

As I was writing checks to mail some bills to be paid (yes I still write checks AND use the USPS to pay bills🤣), I saw, what I’ve seen since I’ve been paying bills, on the back of this envelope below…

For some reason, for the first time, I was like…”Why have I seen this on bills and bill envelopes all my life….who in their right mind would try to pay a debt with stamps?”

Enter our friend, Google Search. Turns out, it appears stamps were considered legal tender in the US, according to the Stamp Payment Act is 1862:

The Stamp Payments Act of 1862–“Section 1 of the Act provided for the use of postage stamps as currency for government debts valued at less than five dollars. “

Postage stamps have served as money in areas as diverse as America, Europe, and the Far East. During the American Civil War merchants, struggling with a shortage of small coins, began the practice of making small change with postage stamps. Daily purchases of stamps increased fivefold in New York City alone, and individual stamps circulated until they became too dirty and tattered for recognition. John Gault, a Boston sewing-machine salesman, proposed the encasement of stamps in circular metal discs with transparent mica on one side showing the face of the stamp. Soon the metal side of the discs was bearing inscriptions of advertisements; one series of encased stamps bore the slogan, “Ayer’s Sarsaparilla to Purify the Blood.” Denominations of encased stamp money ranged from 1 cent to 90 cents, and one rectangular encasement had three 3-cent stamps, making a 9-cent coin.

The government took up the idea of postage money and begin issuing postage currency in denominations of 5-, 10-, 15-, and 50-cent stamps, and some of the postage currency was even perforated around the edges to resemble stamps. The postage currency soon dropped any association with postage stamps and became simple fractional currency in denominations of 3 cents to 50 cents and bearing the inscription “Receivable for all U.S. stamps.”

It appears that this act has never been repealed, such that now, creditors must dictate that cash or stamps can’t be sent as payment for a debt.

Interesting….

Enjoy your day/night

Doug

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POTD – 6/365

Greetings all…

Well, winter is well underway, complete with associated temperatures in many places. For those experiencing those temps, are you ready for summer yet?

The pic below was taken from my driveway almost three years ago to the day. For a cold day, it was a really nice sunset that caught my eye as I got out of the car. Sunset colors can, at times, be invitingly vibrant. I don’t recall seeing similar during the last few winters, but will definitively be on the lookout.

Hope you had a good first weekend of the new year.

Peace,

Doug

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POTD – 5/365

“Get away, let’s leave today, let’s get away!
Let’s leave today, let’s get away
Let’s get away!
Let’s leave today, let’s get away”

ThIs is the lyrical hook to Earth, Wind & Fire’s smash 1977 hit “Getaway”, the essence of something I think about all too often but hardly get a chance to do, or so it seems.

You know how it is, the daily grind-never enough hours in the day- always have things to take care of-things.

I fully realize the importance of extended relax time, especially away from the major distractions we are presented with in this day and age. The key is to make that realization happen. This past July was one of those times…and much needed/appreciated.

Peace…

Doug

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POTD – 4/365

“Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me, as is ever so on the road” – Jack Kerouac, On The Road

Greetings all.

In my 30 years of working as a professional, there was only a span of two years where I didn’t drive to work. That span of time, 1988 to 1990, was when first moved to Washington, DC (June 1988 to be exact). It was then I caught the Yellow Line from Gallery Place to Crystal City everyday. Other than that, I’ve driven with commute times as little as ten minute and as much as (with traffic on a bad day) 60 mins (I was stuck in the big snowstorm of 1998 between Reston and DC for 8 hours trying to drive home). After all these years, I’d easily sacrifice the sometime long waits for the subway train in order to relax on the way into work versus fighting with rush hour traffic, etc.

Today’s photo is en route home one afternoon from work. On a the best of days, it’s a 35 min commute, partially on the Beltway and I-95. This small stretch has many different looks. This one I caught was a quick minute emptiness ahead with the at just the right angle…before the rain…Hope you enjoy it.

Peace,

Doug

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POTD – 3/365

“…and on the third day…”

Greetings everyone. We’re just about at the tail end of the work week, and that’s a good thing (for me, anyway).

I run. I started running of my own volition in July 2010, when I started tracking my runs using the Nike+ iPod fitness tracking system. It’s really that technology which got me interested in fitness tracking to start with. Thing is, I’m not a runner…I don’t profess to, nor aspire to be one. I don’t hate it, but I don’t love it either, I do it solely, in short distances at a time, for the cardio aspect. That said, I’m all into Nike’s concept for fitness training and use their Nike Run Club and Nike Training Club apps both on my iPhone and Apple Watch. The watch has been my main tool for fitness tracking since July 2017 and I’m one of five admins in the Apple Watch Fitness Fans Group on Facebook. I’ve run only two 5Ks in the last eight years, BUT, I do believe there is an advantageous aspect to running for fitness (maybe I’ll come to love it more…but not more than bodybuilding/strength training💪🏽).

Whenever I do run outdoors, I choose the local community college track versus the neighborhood or trails. While I’m counting laps, monitoring my pace via visual cues from either mobile device, and tracking whatever improvement I hope to gain this time around, sometimes I see this gent in the photo below. While I am no way a fast runner, he is far slower than me, YET, he presses on with consistency, barely appearing to pick his feet up off of the asphalt, but nonetheless, maintaining his forward motion and progress.

 

Right now, I’m in the midst of completing a 15K Nike Run Club Challenge that started on 31 Dec, last month, and ends at 11:59pm on 6 Jan. I’m more than half way done, running every morning a little before I work out. This morning, during my run, he crossed my mind – as a dose of external motivation that fuels my internal inspiration.

Peace,
Doug

References:

1. Nike Run Club
2. Nike Training Club
3. Apple Watch Fitness Fans (Facebook)
4. Nike+ iPod Running

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POTD (2/365)

Greetings all…

It’s January 2nd already…where is the year going?? LOL

The photo below shows a repeatable one, of sorts, that I’ve seen regular during a span of four years – 2014 to 2018 to be exact. This bridge sits at the end of the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and can be seen from Adler Hall. More about it can be learned from the reference link below.

I often drove over this bridge heading from SCAD back home to DC. I shot this particular photo, with my iPhone 7, from the front passenger seat early one overcast Sunday morning as something meant to be abstract. Again, not originally black and white, I think the final image caught the essence of what I was looking for. Hope you enjoy it.

Peace,
Doug

References
1. Talmadge Memorial Bridge – Wikipedia

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Photo of the Day (POTD) – (1/365)

Greetings all. Happy 2019 to everyone. My hope is that yours will be healthy and prosperous.

Earlier today, I was installing some updates to my iPhone and came across one of the the App Store’s standard features on suggested apps. This one included a number of apps slated towards creating a daily post of media for the whole year, particularly photos. Ironically, a buddy of mine, Darrenkeith Wyatt, and I have always discussed our mild passion for taking and sharing our own artistically (if you will) photos, but didn’t favor them being “lost on the shuffle” on photo sharing platforms like Instagram. Instead, we always favored hosting them on our blogs, instead of those aforementioned “gated communities” (as Darrenkeith calls them LOL).

The idea came to me during our chat earlier, that I’d like to take on this “challenge” without employing an app. That said, I shared that idea with him and we’ve both decided to do it.

The first photo was taken on the early afternoon of 31 Dec 2018, after leaving a Starbucks in downtown DC. As I was heading back to my car, the image of The Capitol caught my eye, and appeared to be a nice shot. It was a rainy afternoon and while the original photo is in color, the black and white version is not too far off, but looks better to my eye.

Hope you enjoyed it.

Peace

Doug