Distraction 182: Macaque Self-Portraits

Macaque borrows photographer's camera to take self-portraits


"To capture the perfect wildlife image, you usually have to be in exactly the right place at precisely the right time.


But in this instance, David Slater wasn’t there at all and he still got a result.


Visiting a national park in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, award-winning photographer Mr Slater left his camera unattended for a while.


It soon attracted the attention of an inquisitive female from a local group of crested black macaque monkeys, known for their intelligence and dexterity.


Fascinated by her reflection in the lens, she then somehow managed to start the camera. The upshot: A splendid self-portrait."


Read & see more here.


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Distraction 161: Volcanic Lightning Storm

Pictures: Chile Volcano Plume Explodes With Lightning

"Illuminated and electrified by lightning, a roiling ash and gas plume rises over Chile's Puyehue volcano (map) Sunday.

There may be as many as three distinct types of volcanic lightning, volcanic seismologist Steve McNutt told National Geographic News in 2010.

Large, spectacular "natural fireworks" sometimes accompany eruptions, along with an intermediate type, which shoots up from a volcano's vents and reaches lengths of about 1.8 miles (3 kilometers), and finally bolts that can be as short as about three feet (one meter) long and last just a few milliseconds."

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Distraction 143: Ride - "OX4" Remembrance

One of the best unofficial videos I've ever seen. Love this song.

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Distraction 136: Adobe Photoshop Day Cream

It must really mess with your head to always be portrayed so glamorously and then return home at night to look into the mirror at your true self.

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Distraction 131: The View from El Teide

El Teide, Spain´s highest mountain (@ 3718m) is said to be one of the best places in the world to photograph the stars.  Check out this time lapse video that I couldn't be bothered to embed and exclaim, "And how!"

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Distraction 126: Playland at the Beach

Playland at the Beach was long gone before I moved here, razed before I was even born.  (Note to self:  Explore the idea of something being raised before being born.)  I love the picture above because if you've ever driven this stretch of road, then you know it looks almost identical today.

The Poop featured a cool photo essay about Playland today, featuring pics from the SF Chronicle morgue.

Distraction 117: Hello? Is It Me You're Looking For?

Genius!

The production of simple ridiculous joy in it's purest form.

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Distraction 111: Cotton Candy Trees

I'm guessing the manufactured stuff tastes a heck of a lot better and doesn't cling to your fingers nearly as tenaciously.

"... Seen in December 2010, a young girl stands next to a tree covered in spider webs in Sindh, Pakistan, near the intersection of two roads that had only recently reemerged from floodwaters... "  More here.

Cotton candy trees make me think of the "Big Rock Candy Mountain."  

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Distraction 99: Skeletal Embrace

Goth kids of the world unite!  

This story's a few years old now, but I don't recall seeing this image until this week.  Interested in the back story?

"The pair from the Neolithic period (5000 - 6000 years ago) were discovered outside Mantua, about 40km (25 miles) south of Verona.

The pair, almost certainly a man and a woman, are thought to have died young as their teeth were mostly intact, said chief archaeologist Elena Menotti."

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Distraction 95: Dali Atomicus by Philippe Halsman

28 delightful takes of throwing water and cats!  In your collective face, PETA!

There's a nice blurb about the photo here.

Help the victims of the 8.9 earthquake in Japan by making a donation to the Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami Fund.

Distraction 43: Psychic Cleaners

Two things I look for in my dry cleaner; bargain pricing and psychic clairvoyance.  

This sign cracks me up every time I drive past (on El Camino, near the 237 intersection, in Mountain View).

Distraction 35: Half-frame Photography

"The best thing about a picture is that it never changes,
even when the people in it do."  

-Andy Warhol

Half-frame photography allows you to take two individual pictures side-by-side and one after another on the same 35mm frame. That's 72 frames on one 36-exposure roll of film.  (Remember film?)  The Mini Diana series of products from Lomography lets you do all kinds of crazy stuff with film cameras.

Distraction 20: Beards

Generally, I'm not a fan of facial hair on anyone except John Waters and Gomez Addams.  That said, take a gander at how spectacularly ridiculous this guy looks!  It's great!  I'll bet he's a lot of fun to hang out with.  I'm serious!  


How can you not respect someone with the self-confidence to walk around looking like this?!  From his pimped out lampshade hat to his bolo tie, this guy is the shit.


For more amazing beard photos, check out Dave Mead's website.

Distraction 19: The World Around You

The sky is the ultimate canvas; truly 4-dimensional art.


I should bookmark National Geographic's Photo of the Day site and visit everyday; spending a moment to take in something outside of my office.